


christmas (baby please come home)

by asiannoodles



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Christmas Angst, Christmas Fluff, Cute Kids, Drama, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, One-Sided Relationship, Past Relationship(s), Pining, Reunions, Romance, a whole roller coaster tbh, children!jookyun, hints of infidelity, idk how it got to be this long
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-14
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2019-03-04 19:09:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 34,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13371258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asiannoodles/pseuds/asiannoodles
Summary: Hyunwoo doesn't expect much for Christmas but having his old, former boyfriend come back home is like a gift he never expected.The only problem, though, is that Hyungwon has a fiance. And Hyunwoo knows that Hyungwon's fiance is the best man Hyungwon could possibly have.Alternatively, Hyunwoo wants Hyungwon to be happy, even if he can't be the one to bring him that happiness.





	christmas (baby please come home)

**Author's Note:**

> insp by eloise at christmastime 
> 
> also i know i am many weeks late for christmas but !!! merry late xmas !!! and happy birthday to hyungwon !!! pls excuse any errors bc ive been writing since 3am and im about to pass out :-)
> 
> please enjoy !

The sound of snow crunching underneath his boots was probably one of Hyunwoo’s favorite noises. Paired with the sound of all the doors jingling because they were adorned with Christmas bells, Hyunwoo figured that this was his favorite time of year. He always got the most work around this time of year because people needed chains around their tires and everyone’s cars seemed to stop functioning correctly in the cold, like they were as fickle as humans were in the low temperatures. But it always brought revenue to his car shop and he couldn’t have been more thankful for the cold weather.

And it was also his favorite time of year because school was out, and his favorite neighbors were always around to bother him.

“Hyunwoo hyung!” a high pitched voice called out to him along with the sound of scattering feet

Two boys ran up to him, their cheeks and noses pink from the cold and their bodies covered in fluffy attire. One boy wore big earmuffs that looked as if they were squishing his cheeks together and snow boots that were a little too clunky for him. The other boy was slightly taller and wore a scarf all the way up to his nose and a big beanie that covered his ears. The two of them were neighbors and best friends and they lived across the street from Hyunwoo.

The one who had called out to him, the one in the scarf, ran up to him excitedly. Lee Jooheon was a first grader that absolutely adored Hyunwoo, despite his parents not really approving of Jooheon wanting to follow in his footsteps to become a mechanic.

“Hey,” Hyunwoo said, smiling down at him as he nearly collided into his legs. He pat Jooheon’s head warmly and chuckled, “You look like a marshmallow.”

Jooheon huffed and stomped his foot down into the snow. “I don’t!”

“You do,” the other boy commented. This boy was Changkyun. He was Jooheon’s neighbor and possibly the cutest kid on the block. To Hyunwoo at least. He was a kindergartener

who looked up to Jooheon and Hyunwoo like they were the older brothers he always wanted.

Jooheon pouted at Changkyun before turning back to Hyunwoo excitedly. “Hyung, are you going to work on another car today?”

Hyunwoo shook his head as the two boys trailed him. His feet left big footprints in the snow that the two boys would play hopscotch on as they followed him. “No, I don’t have any appointments today,” he said. Then he laughed and said, “Besides I’m taking you two out to ice skate today, remember?”

“Aw,” Jooheon whined as he nearly lost his balance hopping from one of Hyunwoo’s footprints to another. Changkyun held his hand to help steady him though. “What about tomorrow?” he asked hopefully.

With a shrug, Hyunwoo replied, “Maybe. It depends on if anyone needs me. Why do you want to watch me fix cars anyways? I thought you two were excited to go ice skating with me.”

“Yeah, but you’re so cool when you fix cars!” Jooheon exclaimed, hopping on his feet energetically.

Changkyun waddled up behind him, reaching up to hold Hyunwoo’s hand as they neared the road. “My mom says that it’s a miracle you live.”

“Why’s that?” Hyunwoo asked.

“Because you don’t work every day!” he replied as Jooheon took Hyunwoo’s other hand. “But you still make money.”

Hyunwoo worked as their small town’s local mechanic and when he wasn’t, he was juggling all sorts of odd jobs to make money. Somehow, he lived pretty okay. He never had a regular work schedule so Jooheon and Changkyun were always scrambling to hang out with him when they got the chance. And now that they were on winter break, they had all the time in the world to follow Hyunwoo around like small chicks. Their parents were grateful that Hyunwoo loved to watch them without any expectation of payment.

Today he was going to take them ice skating since it had been so nice and cold out. All three of them had their ice skates hanging over their shoulders as they began the trek out of town. Their town was small enough so that everyone recognized them as they walked by. The small shop owners waved at them and told them to have fun skating and be careful because it was going to snow soon.

“Be careful, Jooheon,” Hyunwoo said as Jooheon bounced across the street. Even though Jooheon held his hand, he always felt nervous when the child had so much energy.

“Hyung,” Changkyun spoke from his other side, “where are we going ice skating?”

“On the small pond behind the daycare. I took you there last year, remember?”

“Oh yeah, Jooheon fell and cried.”

Jooheon huffed as the reached the other sidewalk. “I did not!”

“You did!” Changkyun replied as they strayed off the sidewalks and to snow covered roads. “Hyunwoo hyung remembers, doesn’t he?”

They both looked up at Hyunwoo with big, glittering eyes and he almost didn’t have the heart to tell Jooheon that yes, he did remember Jooheon slipping and falling onto a snowbank and definitely crying. But instead he just played dumb and replied with, “I can’t remember anything from last year.”

“But hyung, you have to remember!” Changkyun exclaimed. “He cried for an hour!”

“I didn’t!”

It turned out Changkyun didn’t need Hyunwoo to remember the prior incident of Jooheon falling and crying because it ended up happening again. Only this time, Jooheon fell flat on his face and got a face full of snow up his nose. And despite the two boys being the best of friends, Hyunwoo had to tell Changkyun to stop laughing before Jooheon got mad at him while crying.

The ended up having to cut ice skating on the pond short in favor of Hyunwoo piggybacking Jooheon back into town and then stopping into a small cafe together to get some dinner and dessert before he had to bring them back home.

“I’m going to get the lemon meringue pie!” Changkyun sang as he skipped into the cafe. “It’s my favorite!”

“Yeah?” Hyunwoo said. He looked over his shoulder to where Jooheon was perched on his back and asked him, “What about you, Jooheon? What are you going to eat for dessert?”

Jooheon sniffed as he looked up in thought. His tears had long been dried but he was still hiccuping slightly. “Mm…” he hummed. “Maybe… cake?”

“What kind?” Hyunwoo asked as he set him down in one front of the cafe counter.

“The kind I make, I hope!” a voice sang suddenly.

The kitchen doors swung open as a person the three of them were both familiar with came walking out to greet them at the counter.

“Kihyun!” Changkyun exclaimed happily.

Kihyun was the one who owned the cafe and was also very affectionate with the two boys. He and Hyunwoo grew up in town together and were close despite looking so opposite of each other’s personalities. Kihyun was sweet like his baking and his eyes always sparkled with some sort of light.

Kihyun nodded at Hyunwoo and smiled. “Hey,” he said.

Hyunwoo replied, “Hey. Have any goods for us?”

Kihyun leaned onto the counter and hummed, running his hand through his ashy gray hair. “Well,” he said, “there’s a pecan coffee cake cooling in the back. I can give you guys some to try once it’s done cooling.”

“Sounds good.” Hyunwoo smiled. “Oh, and I heard Changkyun would like a slice of your lemon meringue pie while Jooheon wants cake.”

Kihyun giggled as he leaned over to look down at the two kids. “What kind of cake, Jooheon?”

Jooheon blinked in thought, eyeing all of the slices of cake glowing under the light of the display case before pointing to one. “This one! This is my favorite!”

“Ah yes,” Kihyun chuckled knowingly. “Your favorite triple hazelnut cake. I’ll get big slice just for you!”

Hyunwoo leaned in over the counter and whispered, “Not too big though, right, because I don’t want--”

“Don’t worry.” Kihyun winked. “Not too big. And anything else for you? Aside from your hazelnut coffee, that is.”

“Probably some chicken sandwiches before the dessert,” Hyunwoo said, eyeing Jooheon and Changkyun with a careful and amused eye. “They’re not exactly pooped from skating but I promised their parents I would feed them before going home.”

Kihyun grinned at him and said, “No problem. You guys take a seat and I’ll bring out your food.”

“Thank you!” Jooheon chirped as he followed Hyunwoo and Changkyun to a nearby table. He climbed onto a chair and watched as Hyunwoo helped hoist Changkyun up onto a chair.

“Hyung, what are we going to do tomorrow?” Changkyun asked as Hyunwoo helped him take off his thick coat and big gloves. “Will we go ice skating again?”

Hyunwoo smiled as he sat down and reached over to pull Jooheon’s beanie off his head and unravel his scarf. “Don’t you think we’ve ice skated enough for one week? We went on Monday already too.”

“But I love ice skating! I want to learn how to spin,” Changkyun replied as he bounced in his seat. He sat on his knees so he could reach the table. “Do you think you could teach me?”

“Maybe,” Hyunwoo responded as he took off his own jacket. “I’ll teach you maybe sometime next week. I think we did enough ice skating this week,” he chuckled, eyeing Jooheon.

Jooheon nodded. “Yeah, let’s do something else tomorrow.”

“Well, I do need to get my groceries for the week. Want to come with me?”

“Yes!” they both nodded excitedly.

Kihyun came walking over then with a tray of mugs. “I have two hot chocolates for the boys,” he said, setting them down in front of the excited duo. He shared a smile with Hyunwoo as they watched Jooheon and Changkyun blow on their steaming drinks enthusiastically.

“Careful, don’t burn your tongue,” Hyunwoo warned softly as Jooheon began sipping his drink. “And not too fast.”

Kihyun chuckled as he reached over to stroke Changkyun’s head. “It’s like you’ve become a father of two.”

Hyunwoo smiled at the two kids and let out a casual sigh. “Well, these two have been following me around ever since they could walk. Even after school sometimes, they come straight to my garage shop.”

“You guys should hang out with me sometimes!” Kihyun said with a small pout. “It gets lonely when it’s not busy. I’ll let you guys be my taste testers.”

“Ooh.” Changkyun’s eyes sparkled. “That sounds fun.”

“Maybe…” Jooheon murmured. “But I like watching Hyunwoo hyung work on cars better.”

Kihyun frowned at him playfully. “You don’t want to watch me cook?”

“I watch my mom cook all the time!” Jooheon said, licking the hot chocolate off of his upper lip.

Kihyun laughed as he walked closer to Hyunwoo. “Alright, alright. I guess you don’t need to come hang out with me. Your hazelnut coffee,” he said as he set down the mug in front of Hyunwoo.

“Thanks,” Hyunwoo said with a nod. “Your coffee is the best in town.”

“Why _thank_ you,” Kihyun said, pretending to be flattered. Hyunwoo chuckled because the only person who probably loved Kihyun’s coffee more than Hyunwoo was Kihyun himself. “By the way, I like your sweater.”

Hyunwoo looked down at the brown cashmere sweater he had worn underneath his big coat. “Oh, thanks. I haven’t worn this in a while.”

“It looks nice on you.” Kihyun said with a smile. “It defines your body.”

With a snort, Hyunwoo leaned back in his chair while raising his coffee to his mouth. “Thanks, I guess.”

Kihyun snickered and turned away. “I’ll be right back with your sandwiches.”

“Thanks,” Hyunwoo called after him as he walked away.

He smiled to himself as he sipped his coffee. Changkyun and Jooheon were reaching for the marshmallows provided at the center of the table, counting them one by one as they plopped them into their hot chocolate. Jooheon counted up to four for his cup while Changkyun counted three for his own. They turned to Hyunwoo excitedly, offering him marshmallows as well.

“Hyung, how many do you want?”

Hyunwoo didn’t have the heart to tell them that he really didn’t want to put any marshmallows in Kihyun’s great hazelnut coffee but he couldn’t say no to their sparkling eyes so he sighed and said, “One. Just one marshmallow.”

“Only one?!” Changkyun exclaimed. He frowned as he picked up another one. “What about two?”

“Two is too sweet.”

“But two is better than one!” Changkyun stated matter-of-factly.

Hyunwoo sighed and tilted his cup towards him, allowing Changkyun to happily drop two marshmallows in there. “And what makes you say that?” he asked.

“Two of everything is better than one!” Jooheon supplied with an agreeing nod. “Like two coins.”

Changkyun nodded enthusiastically. “And two stars.”

“Two gummies!”

“Two flowers!”

“And two people!” Changkyun said.

“Two people?” Hyunwoo asked with a chuckle.

“Yeah.” The boy nodded. “Like my mom and dad.”

“Oh, you mean like a couple?” Hyunwoo asked.

“Yes! Or like friends.” Jooheon raised a finger up into the air as he stated, “My mom always says that two people are better than one. And when you’re an adult you need a good partner.”

Hyunwoo nodded as he brought his coffee to his mouth. “Your mom is right.”

“So hyung, how come you don’t have a partner yet?” Jooheon asked, blinking.

It took Hyunwoo some self restraint not to choke on his coffee but some coffee still ended up spilling on his sweater. “O-Oh--”

Changkyun giggled as he handed him a napkin. “Hyung spilled!”

“Yeah,” Hyunwoo coughed, “yeah, I did. But, uh, Jooheon -- I don’t have a partner. I won’t have one until I want to get married.”

Jooheon tilted his head. “Don’t you want to get married?”

“Someday, I suppose. But not now.” He smiled and reached over to ruffle Jooheon’s hair. “Besides, who needs a partner when I have these two kids that already take up all my time.” Jooheon laughed happily as Kihyun came back with three pressed chicken sandwiches, hot off the grill from the back. Jooheon and Changkyun’s were cut into triangles while Hyunwoo’s was kept large. “That’s _three_ sandwiches for you guys. Can I get you anything else?” KIhyun asked to Hyunwoo pointedly.

“Mm,” Hyunwoo hummed as his phone dinged in his pocket. He pulled it out, his eyebrows knitting slightly. “I don’t think so…” he murmured as he checked his notification. “Oh. Oh, shoot.”

Kihyun eyed him curiously, his movements slowing as he handed Changkyun a napkin. “Is something wrong?”

“Uh, kind of. The mayor wants to see me. Says something about an emergency with his car and he’s at my garage shop right now.” Hyunwoo spoke quickly as he stood up, swinging his jacket over his arms. He looked up at Kihyun desperately and said, “Hey, I have to go -- do you think you could watch the boys for me?”

“Of course.” Kihyun nodded.

“And if I’m not back in around thirty minutes, just take them home for me, alright?”

“Yeah, definitely. Oh, let me wrap up your coffee and sandwich to go for you,” Kihyun told him despite Hyunwoo beginning to protest. “It’ll just take a few minutes, I’ll be right back.”

Jooheon and Changkyun looked up at Hyunwoo curiously, chewing innocently as they watched Hyunwoo redress himself.

“Do you have to go somewhere?” Changkyun asked.

Hyunwoo smiled apologetically and reached over to pinch Changkyun’s cheek softly. “Yup, just for a bit. I’ll try to be back soon, okay?”

Jooheon nodded. “Okay. Are you going to work on a car?!” he asked excitedly.

“Maybe,” Hyunwoo chuckled. “It’s for the mayor. He says it's not a very big job -- just that he needs it done now. So I’ll be back soon, okay?”

“Okay!”

Kihyun caught him just as he was heading out the door, pressing a small paper bag and a coffee cup into his hands. “There you are,” he said with a smile. “And I wrapped up a piece of that coffee cake also, just in case you don’t make it back.”

“You didn’t have to, Kihyun,” Hyunwoo murmured, but a smile was gracing his face.

“Don’t worry about it,” Kihyun replied, patting him on his arm. “Now you should go -- it’s not good to keep the mayor waiting.”

“Thanks -- I’ll see you all in a bit.”

Kihyun waited at the door and waved off as Hyunwoo left. Then with a small smile and a sigh, he sat down in Hyunwoo’s seat with the two boys. “That boy works too hard.”

“Who?” Changkyun asked. “Hyunwoo hyung?”

Kihyun nodded. “Yup, Hyunwoo hyung.”

Changkyun looked at Kihyun curiously and then out the big window where he could see Hyunwoo walking quickly across the street with his coffee steaming in his hand. And then he watched at how Kihyun sighed at Hyunwoo while resting his cheek in his palm.

“Kihyun hyung?”

“Hm?”

“Are you going to marry Hyunwoo?”

“What--”

Changkyun and Jooheon watched flatly as Kihyun nearly fell out of his seat, his hands scrambling to find purchase on the table edge. Kihyun looked betrayed by all means, but Changkyun only tilted his head and blinked.

“You and Hyunwoo hyung? Do you like each other?”

With a frown, Kihyun muttered, “What on earth would make you think that?”

“Because!” Changkyun said importantly. “You give him coffee and food when he has to leave for work. My mom does that for my dad. And you do it for Hyunwoo!”

“Oh--” Kihyun stammered, his cheeks flushing. He smiled and shook his head. “No, Changkyun, Hyunwoo and I will not get married.”

“Why not!” Jooheon exclaimed. “Don’t you two like each other?”

Kihyun paused; his mouth was open but he wasn’t speaking. After a moment of thought, he asked, “Well, do you want to marry Changkyun?”

The boys both made a face and grimaced at each other across the table. “Ew, no!” Changkyun screamed. “I don’t want to marry Jooheon!”

“And I don’t want to marry Changkyun!” Jooheon exclaimed also. Then, sticking his nose into the air, he proudly stated, “I’m going to marry Minhyuk from second grade!”

Changkyun scrunched his face up and retorted, “No, _I’m_ going to marry Minhyuk from second grade!”

 _“No,_ I am!”

 _“I_ am!”

“No--!”

“Alright, alright,” Kihyun chuckled, stopping their banter. “But that’s like Hyunwoo and me. You two don’t want to get married because you’re only friends -- it’s the same thing with us.”

Changkyun tilted his head and stared at Kihyun curiously. “Have you ever tried before?”

Kihyun pursed his lips and laughed somewhat humorlessly as he looked down. “Uh, no. I’m not his type.”

“What?” Jooheon blinked. “Hyung has a type?”

Kihyun looked very reluctant to answer, so instead he just nodded lightly and stood up. “Yeah, I guess you could say that. I’ll come back with your desserts -- you two look done with your sandwiches.” He smiled and walked away.

Jooheon watched him for a moment before turning back to Changkyun. “That was funny.”

“A little.” Changkyun nodded in agreement. “I didn’t know Hyunwoo hyung had a type.”

“You don’t even know what a type is, you’re in kindergarten!”

“I’m only one year younger than you!”

“Still,” Jooheon huffed. He played with the edges of his napkin as he looked up in thought. “I wonder what hyung’s type is.”

The door to the cafe opened sharply then, a cold breeze running up Jooheon and Changkyun’s spines as a tall, thin man they had never seen before stepped in. A jingle echoed through the quiet cafe as the door closed and the man unraveled his scarf as his large, sparkling eyes widened.

 _“Wow,”_ the stranger murmured.

“Who’s he?” Changkyun whispered to Jooheon.

Jooheon shrugged, peeking over his hot chocolate at the stranger. “I don’t know.”

“He’s very handsome.” Changkyun blinked.

“More handsome than Minhyuk?”

“Hmm… not really.”

Kihyun came walking back out of the kitchen then with two plates of cakes in his hands. “Did someone come in-- Oh…” he murmured. “Oh my god.”

The stranger broke out into a grin and chuckled happily. “Hey,” he said. “Do you sell triple hazelnut cake here?”

“Oh my _god!”_ Kihyun exclaimed, placing the cakes down in front of the boys while his eyes never left the stranger. “Hyungwon, is that you?”

The man rushed over to give Kihyun a hug, enveloping him in his long limbs. “It’s me!”

“What!” Kihyun laughed out loud giddily in excitement. He pulled away and his eyes absolutely filled with sparkles. “Look… look at you! It’s like you’ve grown up!”

“You too, look at this place! You finally opened up your cafe.” The look in the man’s eyes was soft as he reached to stroke Kihyun’s hair. “It’s been so long, Kihyun.”

Kihyun’s grin was radiant as he said, “It has been! What brings you back here?”

Jooheon could feel how the air changed around them as the stranger took Kihyun’s hands into his own and smiled a smile that was softer than anything Jooheon had ever seen. His eyes seemed to sparkle as he lowered his voice and spoke quietly.

“I’m getting married,” he said.

Jooheon watched as Kihyun’s eyes widened and his smile faltered. “Married?” he asked with a small gasp. “Where? W-When?”

The man looked down, seemingly shy about the details, before saying, “I’m getting married on Christmas Eve. On the lake.”

Changkyun let out a loud gasp from his seat as he hopped off and scurried over. “Changkyun, wait!” Jooheon exclaimed as he followed him rashly. But Changkyun was already at Kihyun’s legs and looking up at the stranger with bright, unblinking eyes.

“You’re getting married on Christmas Eve?!” he exclaimed. “That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever heard!”

The man smiled down, a bit of confusion in his eyes. He knelt down to look Changkyun in the eyes. “And who might this be?” he asked.

Kihyun chuckled and replied, “This is Changkyun. He’s five and he lives in town.”

Changkyun nodded excitedly. “And this is Jooheon!” he said, holding the other’s sleeve loosely. “He’s six.”

“You are?” the man asked with a smile. Jooheon nodded softly as he took Kihyun’s hand. The man exchanged glances with Kihyun and laughed. “Hi, Jooheon -- my name is Hyungwon.”

“Hi,” Jooheon replied quietly, squeezing Kihyun’s fingers.

Kihyun chuckled. “You’ll have to excuse him -- Jooheon’s just a little… apprehensive with strangers,” he said with a laugh. “They both visit here a lot.”

“Really? Then you must know all the good flavors of cakes, don’t you?” Hyungwon told him. “What’s your favorite?”

Jooheon positively lit up, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he exclaimed. “Triple hazelnut! That’s _my_ favorite!”

Hyungwon grinned widely. “That’s my favorite too! You’ve got good taste, little buddy.” Jooheon beamed at the words and then Hyungwon was standing up, making eye contact with Kihyun again and softly said, “So much has changed since I lived here.”

Kihyun shrugged. “I don’t know about this place changing -- but you’ve definitely changed.”

“Have I?” Hyungwon raised his eyebrow with a short chuckle.

“Uh, just a _little,”_ Kihyun teased as he lead the boys back to their seats. He helped Changkyun get up and the continued, “After all, you’re the one who’s _engaged_ now.”

Hyungwon flushed lightly and smiled down at the floor. “Yes, I suppose it’s me who’s changed a bit more.”

Kihyun’s head tilted slightly, an unreadable expression crossing his face before he said, “You said you wanted some hazelnut cake, right? For here or to go?”

“To go, please.” Hyungwon looked over his shoulder to the snow outdoors. “I can’t be gone too long.”

Kihyun disappeared into the back and so Hyungwon stood in the middle of the store in an awkward silence. He turned to smile at Changkyun and Jooheon, who were staring at him with such curiosity, their eyes were the size of saucers. It made Hyungwon chuckle as he walked over softly.

“Don’t you two boys have school?”

Jooheon grinned. “No! We’re on winter break!”

Hyungwon laughed, “Oh, right, winter break. I miss having breaks.”

“You don’t get winter break?” Changkyun asked, his eyes widening.

“No, I still have to work a lot,” Hyungwon chuckled. “I miss being in school. You guys go to the elementary school here, don’t you?”

“Mm!” Jooheon nodded proudly. “But Changkyun is still in kindergarten.”

“I’m almost a first grader!” Changkyun pouted.

Hyungwon smiled at them fondly, as if he had known them for years. “I remember going to that school. You know I grew up here?”

“You did? Where did you live?”

“Hmmm.” Hyungwon looked up in thought. “I lived right on the corner with the big, maple tree. The one where the branches touch the windows.”

“Oh, I know where that is!” Jooheon exclaimed excitedly. He paused, his eyebrows furrowing. “Wait… that’s the mayor’s house. You lived in the mayor’s house?”

Hyungwon chuckled. “Why, of course! I _am_ the mayor’s son.”

Changkyun let out a loud, long gasp. “You’re Mayor Chae’s son?! Wow! We live next door to him!”

“Oh, you do!” Hyungwon’s eyes brightened. “We’ll be seeing each other much more then! Do you two often play by yourselves.”

“Yeah.” Changkyun nodded. “Although most of the time, we’re with Kihyun or--”

“One slice of triple hazelnut cake!” Kihyun announced as he came back. The slice was packaged in a small white takeout box, nothing like the bag he had given Hyunwoo for his sandwich.

“Oh, thank you,” Hyungwon said with a smile. “It looks great, Kihyun, your baking hasn’t changed a bit.”

Kihyun laughed. “I would like to think it’s got better since my experimental high school days, but thank you. I’ll be seeing you in town a lot now, won’t I?”

Hyungwon nodded. “Yes, most definitely. I think I’ll still be in town for a bit after the wedding before we go on our honeymoon. You’ll come if you can, won’t you?”

“Of course,” Kihyun said warmly as he grinned. “You were my best friend growing up, I wouldn’t miss it for the world. When did you get back, by the way?”

“Just over an hour ago.”

Kihyun’s smiled stayed on his face but his eyes seemed to dim as he pursed his lips. “So have you… did you see--”

“Hyungwon?”

Kihyun was interrupted when the door to his cafe opened up with the softest jingle and a man with soft, brown hair poked his head in. Jooheon and Changkyun had never seen him before in their town. This man was handsome also.

Hyungwon smiled in recognition as he beckoned the man to come in. “Oh! Sorry honey, I didn’t mean to leave you outside so long.”

The other man smiled as he came to Hyungwon’s side, placing a hand on the small of his back securely. “It’s fine, I just figured I would come in to see what’s taking you so long.” He pecked Hyungwon on the cheek and he smiled.

“Oh, honey,” Hyungwon said towards the man. “This is Kihyun. Kihyun, this is Hoseok -- my fiance.”

Kihyun tilted his head as the edge of his lips quirked up into a strange smile. “It’s… a pleasure to meet you,” he said slowly, sticking out his hand.

Hoseok grabbed it and gave it a firm shake. “Likewise. I hate to rush your reunion, but Hyungwon and I are running late and I would hate to make a bad impression on his father.”

“Oh, of course. I’ll see you later?” Kihyun asked to Hyungwon.

Hyungwon nodded as Hoseok was tugging his hand out the door gently. “Yes, I’ll see you later.” He waved one last time at Changkyun and Jooheon before he was disappearing.

Changkyun waved at Hyungwon for as long as he could before he left. He looked up at Kihyun with big, wide eyes and said, “That man was handsome!”

Kihyun blinked at where Hyungwon had been standing before shaking his head and pulling a smile on his face. “Yeah?” he said as he sat down next to Changkyun. “Which one?”

“The tall one!” Changkyun said with a slight giggle. “He’s very handsome, isn’t he?”

“Oh, Hyungwon?” Kihyun asked, resting his chin in his palm. He nodded lightly as his eyes unfocused slightly. “Yeah… we used to go to school together. He’s just like how I remember him. Except…”

Jooheon tilted his head and asked, “Except what?”

Kihyun shrugged as he blinked out of his train of thought. “I don’t know. Hyungwon is acting kind of weird. I guess he really has grown up now,” he murmured. “He seems so important and official.”

“Well!” Changkyun piped up. “He is the mayor’s son! He’s very official, isn’t he?”

“Yeah…” Kihyun said softly. “Hm, I don’t know. He just seems kind of unlike himself. But he’s probably just matured while he was away.” He smiled nostalgically as he reached over to stroke Changkyun’s cheek. “Everyone seems to be growing up so quickly.”

  
  
  
  


Jooheon and Changkyun ended up seeing Hyungwon again when they were playing around in their front yard. A fresh layer of snow had fallen onto the ground and the two of them were nearly jumping out of their beds to go out and make a snowman. It was times like this when they were grateful for being neighbors. Their mothers had a hard time making sure they ate breakfast and making sure that they were dressed properly in their snow clothes while they bounced on the balls of their feet. They had probably never rushed to play in the snow so quickly in their lives.

They were just about finishing up their snowman when Jooheon let out a small shout of realization.

“We don’t have anything for his eyes!” he exclaimed.

Changkyun, who was working on patting snow onto and smoothing the snowman’s head, widened his eyes and let out a gasp. “Aren’t there rocks we can use?” he asked.

Jooheon shook his head. “There’s so much snow, we’ll never find rocks big enough.” He pouted. “We’ve spent so long on our snowman. But now he can’t see.”

 _“No,”_ Changkyun whined. He blinked in thought for a moment. “Maybe I can go inside and ask my mom?”

“But then we would have to take all our jackets off,” Jooheon said with a sigh.

Changkyun frowned softly and looked around. “That’s true…” he said sadly. But his sadness didn’t last very long when he saw Hyungwon coming out of the house adjacent to there’s. “Oh!” he exclaimed, immediately waving at the other man. “It’s Hyungwon hyung! Maybe he can help us. Hyungwon hyung!” he called out.

Hyungwon looked over in their direction confusedly before recognition filled his eyes. He grinned largely as he made his way over, a soft twinkle in his eyes. “Hi boys,” he said. “Good morning. Did you two make this little snowman?”

Changkyun was quick to nod, hurriedly running over to grab Hyungwon's hand and pull him over. "Yes! Jooheon and I made him! But we need your help!"

Hyungwon crouched down as his pulled a look of amused concern onto his face. "You do? What do you need my help for?"

"Our snowman can't see," Jooheon said as he pointed at the snowman's face. "But the snow is so thick, we can't find any rocks. Do you have any rocks?"

"Me?" Hyungwon asked. Tapping his finger on his chin, he hummed to himself and said, "No, I don't have any rocks. I can help you two look though."

"Yes please!" Changkyun chirped, bouncing up and down as Hyungwon began to dig into the soft snow with his hands. He also bent down to turn the snow over itself again and again in search of pebbles that their snowman could use as eyes.

"Do you think we'll find any?" Jooheon asked as he smoothed the snowman's head.

"We have to!" Changkyun exclaimed. "Or else he'll be blind forever and he can't be."

They searched for maybe another minute when Jooheon heard a familiar voice calling Hyungwon's name. He turned to the side and saw Hyungwon's fiance coming towards them from the house also. Hyungwon looked up and grinned sheepishly as Hoseok glanced at him in confusion.

"Sweetheart?" he asked as he jogged over. "What are you doing, you were supposed to wait in the car so we could go together."

"Oh, sorry," Hyungwon said with a soft chuckle. He reached over to pet Changkyun's head and said, "You remember these two boys from the cafe yesterday, don't you?"

Hoseok looked down at the two with a soft smile, one that made Jooheon feel exceptionally warm inside. "Oh, of course. I didn't quite get your names though," he said as he squatted down next to Jooheon. "What's your name, big guy?"

Jooheon smiled at him. "I'm Jooheon! And that over there is Changkyun." He pointed to the other who waved at Hoseok. "And this," he said, pointing at their snowman, "is our snowman who doesn't have eyes. Hyungwon hyung is helping us look for rocks so that he can see."

Hoseok laughed as he raised an eyebrow at Hyungwon. "Is this why you're...?"

"Yeah," Hyungwon nodded with a laugh. "They asked for my help and I couldn't say no."

"When do you never say no," Hoseok grumbled jokingly. He turned to Jooheon and said, "Well, my name is Hoseok. And I can also help your snowman get eyes."

Hyungwon snickered. "I don't know, honey, there are really no rocks in this snow. Not after the foot of snow last night."

Hoseok pursed his lips in thought and then nodded. "Okay, how about this then," he said, taking out his wallet. He pulled out two pennies and held them up for Jooheon to inspect. "Do you think these will make pretty eyes for your snowman?"

Jooheon picked up the two coins and tilted his head as he stared at them. Then he turned to Changkyun and asked, "Kyun! What do you think?"

Changkyun nodded happily as he came over to gaze at the two shining pennies. "They're pretty. I think they'll make good eyes."

"Me too." Jooheon nodded and he placed the two pennies right in the center of the snowman's face, stepping back to look at his work proudly.

"Perfect!" Hyungwon said happily. "Now your snowman can see and he has the prettiest brown eyes, don't you think?"

Changkyun nodded with a soft giggle. “Just like Minhyuk does.”

"Minhyuk? Who's Minhyuk?"

"Minhyuk is a pretty boy in second grade," Jooheon said matter-of-factly. "And I'm going to marry him when we grow up."

"No, I'm going to marry him!" Changkyun refuted quickly. "Last year he gave me a Valentine!"

"He gave me a Valentine too!" Jooheon exclaimed. "So I'm going to marry him!"

Changkyun frowned. "No, I am."

"Boys, boys," Hoseok laughed as he held up his hands as a gesture for them to stop arguing. "Which one of you does _Minhyuk_ want to marry?"

Both Jooheon and Changkyun were silent, their cheeks coloring rosily as their hands fidgeted at their sides.

"...I don't know," Changkyun murmured.

Hyungwon smiled at him, reaching up to brush his cheek. "So you two haven't asked Minhyuk who he wants to marry yet? And you argue like this?"

Jooheon kicked the snow in embarrassment. "But... I want to marry Minhyuk. I like him a lot so he will too, right?"

Hoseok laughed at the immediate glare Changkyun sent Jooheon. "Maybe," he said, "maybe. But what matters most is who Minhyuk wants to marry. You two are only talking to each other! Make sure to ask Minhyuk too!"

"Yeah... I guess so," Changkyun murmured. "But I want to marry him more!"

"No, I do!" Jooheon snapped back.

Hyungwon chuckled as he rubbed the two of their shoulders. "I'm sure you both want to marry him a lot. But just remember that Minhyuk will marry who he wants even if you both want to marry him more. You have to promise each other that you'll both be happy no matter who Minhyuk chooses."

Hoseok rolled his eyes and nudged Hyungwon playfully. "You're so cheesy."

"I get it from _you,_ knucklehead," Hyungwon said back. "Besides, it's good life advice. Even if they're kids. It's not like they're actually going to get married soon."

"I suppose," Hoseok sang. He stood up and ran a hand through his soft brown hair. "I'm going to go warm up the car, okay? I told your dad we would be back before three so we should head out soon."

"Alright," Hyungwon agreed as Hoseok walked away. He turned back to the boys and took Changkyun's hands in his own. "Well, I have to go soon. I'm very happy your snowman can see now!"

"Thank you for helping us!" Changkyun told him with a grin.

Hyungwon grinned at him adoringly. "You're both so cute, I almost want to invite you to my wedding."

“Oh, can you?!” Changkyun gasped, his eyes going wide and twinkly. "We would love to go!" he said.

Hyungwon stood up and ruffled Changkyun's hair affectionately. "I swear, it's as if I've known you two since you were born. But I'll ask Hoseok and then we'll see if we have any more invitations, okay?"

"Okay!" the two nodded enthusiastically.

Hyungwon stood and stared at them for a moment, a warm smile lighting up his face fleetingly. Changkyun was very bright and friendly, it was adorable. He was so quick to warm up to Hyungwon, even at the cafe a day or two ago. Jooheon was the quieter of the two. He was much shyer and although he seemed to warm up to Hyungwon now, he still seemed so quiet.

"You know," Hyungwon said suddenly, bending down to look at Jooheon. "You remind me of someone."

"Me?" Jooheon asked, blinking confusedly.

"Yeah..." Hyungwon murmured. He shook his head and pulled another smile on his face. "Never mind that. It just might be me," he chuckled softly. Then standing up, he gave the two one last wave. "I'll see you two later!"

"Bye!" Changkyun exclaimed, waving his entire arm after him. With a satisfied hum, he turned to Jooheon. “I like him. Don’t you like him?”

Jooheon nodded. “He’s nice. He’s really handsome too.”

Changkyun nodded as he rounded their snowman a little more. “Very handsome.”

“I think Hyunwoo hyung is more handsome, don’t you?”

“Mm… maybe. Maybe Hyungwon hyung is a little handsomer?”

“No, Hyunwoo hyung is! He’s the handsomest and the coolest.”

“You know who’s handsomer than both of them?” Changkyun whispered.

Jooheon blinked and furrowed his eyebrows. “Who could possibly be more handsome than both of them?”

“Minhyuk.”

“...Yeah. You’re right.”

  
  
  


Jooheon could always see when Hyunwoo was coming over. Maybe it was because he could see Hyunwoo’s big, broad shoulders from a mile away or maybe he could hear the specific crunch of Hyunwoo’s boots as he came over from a down the street. Any way Hyunwoo came, Jooheon was always the first to run towards him and jump into his arms.

“Hyung!” he shouted excitedly as Hyunwoo lifted him off the ground.

“Hey buddy,” he said, his voice warm and deep. He bent down to pick up Changkyun with his other arm. “I haven’t seen you two in a few days.”

“Yeah! You left us with Kihyun!” Jooheon accused. He poked Hyunwoo’s face cheekily.

"Sorry, sorry," Hyunwoo apologized with a warm smile. "I didn't mean to leave for so long but the mayor really needed his brakes fixed. It turned out to not be that quick of a job." He set the boys down.

"So did you finish on his car?" Jooheon asked.

Hyunwoo nodded as he took both of their hands and began walking out of the neighborhood. The mothers waved to him from the doorways and he made sure to hold the boys' hands tightly as they walked onto the slippery sidewalk. "I finished just this morning! That's why I couldn't come until now."

"That's okay," Changkyun said with a beaming smile. He skipped alongside Hyunwoo, watching the ground as he left imprints in it with his boots. "We made a snowman this morning!"

"I saw him just now!" Hyunwoo told them. "Where did you get the pennies for his eyes?"

"A nice man named Hoseok," Jooheon said, his voice nearly muffled from his scarf.

"Hoseok?" Hyunwoo asked. His smile faltered slightly. "There's nobody named Hoseok on this street--"

"Oh, Hyunwoo!"

Hyunwoo looked up and saw the mayor waving at him from his home. Sometimes he forgot that the mayor was neighbors with his two favorite boys. "Oh, Mayor Chae!" he said with a grin.

"Thanks so much for fixing my brakes these past few days. I didn't realize it would take that long -- I'm so sorry!"

Hyunwoo called back, "Don't worry about it, I was just doing my job! Don't forget to chain your tires when you can, Mayor Chae!"

"Yes, I'll make sure to," the mayor replied with a smile. He waved at the two boys and said, "Where are you three going today?"

"I promised them I'd take them grocery shopping with me," Hyunwoo said, halting the boys before they got too far for the mayor to hear. "I need to refill my fridge before I run out of things to eat," he joked.

"Oh!" the mayor exclaimed. He clasped his robe tightly over his body and ran out towards them in just his slippers. Changkyun laughed at the silly sight but Hyunwoo's jaw slacked in concern.

"Oh-- Mr. Mayor, you should go back inside."

"Here," the mayor said, thrusting a roll of money towards Hyunwoo. "For fixing my brakes."

Hyunwoo stared at the wad of money uncomfortably. "Sir, you've already paid me for my work and I like to think I don't take handouts--"

"Come on, Hyunwoo, please take it. It's hard to find good workers these days and you sure are a good one. Take it as a favor -- I know it's been hard for you."

Hyunwoo pursed his lips. He let go of Jooheon's hand to reluctantly take hold of the cash. "...Thanks, Mr. Mayor."

"It's not a problem," the older man smiled. "I always like to help someone in need."

"Oh-- um. Yeah. Thanks," Hyunwoo muttered. He shoved the cash into his pocket and took grab of Jooheon's hand again. "Thanks again -- we should really be heading to the grocery store before it gets too windy."

"Yes, yes, don't let me keep you! I'll see you boys later!" he said as he scampered back into his home with a wave.

"Bye Mr. Mayor!" Changkyun waved after him as his door closed.

Jooheon eyed Hyunwoo's pocket. "Hyung, that's a lot of money!"

"Yeah... yeah, I guess it is," Hyunwoo murmured to himself as he continued down the sidewalk out of the neighborhood. He pulled a smile back onto his face as he held the boys' hands tightly. "Well! Guess that just means I have some extra money to buy you boys a treat, don't I? Do you want to go to Kihyun's cafe again?"

"No, I want the rice cakes from Mr. Kim's stand!" Jooheon exclaimed.

"Mm," Hyunwoo hummed in agreement, nodding firmly. "You're right, the best food to get after we shop is hot food."

"Yes!" Changkyun cheered.

Luckily for them, Mr. Kim's rice cake stand was always right outside the sliding doors of the grocery store. Hyunwoo promised to buy them each a small cup after they finished shopping together and the two boys were more than ecstatic.

The two of them always loved grocery shopping with Hyunwoo. Hyunwoo always lifted Changkyun up to place him in the child's seat of the cart while Jooheon would stand against Hyunwoo's stomach, pushing the cart while Hyunwoo did for better steering, as he liked to put it. They would pick out all the groceries Hyunwoo needed with him and Hyunwoo would always make sure to get Jooheon's approval of the produce before buying it. Jooheon always knew how to pick out the best apples!

And then afterwards, they almost always fought on who got to hold Hyunwoo's biggest grocery bag. The same lady that checked out their groceries would give them coupons to bring home for Hyunwoo.

Hyunwoo always liked this. He liked everything about the two boys. He liked it because something about this routine was so comforting and familiar. Taking the boys grocery shopping or taking the boys out to town was something he looked forward to in between his inconsistent work hours. Hyunwoo lived alone, but his two favorite boys always made his life feel a bit less lonely.

"Alright, what do you two boys want to do after this?" Hyunwoo asked after he had bought them their two small cups of rice cakes. He ended up having to carry all the grocery bags himself now that their small hands were occupied with snacks. "Do you want to come hang out at my house or go home?"

"Your house!" Jooheon said immediately. "I want to play that stacking game with you again."

"Stacking game-- Oh, do you mean Jenga?" Hyunwoo chuckled.

Jooheon nodded. "Yes! That was so much fun last time!"

Hyunwoo laughed. "Alright, alright, we can go to my house and play Jenga. Do you want to come too, Changkyun? Give me a bite of that." Hyunwoo bent down and opened his mouth for Changkyun to place a rice cake in.

"I want to go too!" Changkyun said excitedly. "Jenga is so much fun. Last time we played with Kihyun hyung and he lost," he giggled. "We should invite him."

"That's right, your Kihyun hyung is really bad at Jenga," Hyunwoo chuckled.

Jooheon looked up at Hyunwoo, chewing with full cheeks as he mumbled out, "You know, last time we saw Kihyun hyung, we asked him if you two were ever going to get married."

Hyunwoo nearly slipped on the ice at that comment, clutching the five grocery bags on his arms to his chest to stop them from spilling. He coughed the remnants of the spicy rice cakes he choked on and stammered out, "What made you ask him that?"

Changkyun blinked flatly. "Kihyun asked us that too. But it's because you two act like our mom and dad. Like when we played Jenga! It was like a family, don't you think? My mom said that you and Kihyun look good together after she picked me up."

Hyunwoo laughed nervously. "Changkyun, that's not a reason for Kihyun and I to get married. We're not going to get married."

"Yeah, Kihyun hyung said that too. He said he wasn't your type."

Hyunwoo pursed his lips uncomfortably at the memories that came flooding back at that comment. He coughed one more time. "It's not that important boys -- Kihyun and I are just friends. And he's working right now so we can't invite him to play Jenga with us."

Changkyun pouted. "Fine," he relented. He blew on more of his rice cakes and shivered. "It's so cold today."

Hyunwoo stared at him for a moment, taking in his appearance. Something seemed a little off. He stopped in his tracks before he blinked and widened his eyes and exclaimed, "Changkyun, where's your scarf?"

Changkyun gasped, his hands going up to his throat. "Oh no! I think I left it in the grocery cart!"

Hyunwoo looked around. They were standing at the edge of the parking lot and there were just people going into their cars. He sighed through his nose and bent down. He handed one of the grocery bags to Jooheon and said, "I'm going to run back to get Changkyun's scarf. If anybody asks, you're holding these groceries for your mom who will be right back. Okay?"

Jooheon nodded as he held the bag with one hand. "Okay."

Hyunwoo smiled and stroked his cheek warmly. "I'll be right back," he said as he stood up and jogged back towards the grocery store.

The two of them stood there, nibbling on their rice cakes slowly as they waited for Hyunwoo to return.

"Hm," Changkyun murmured, "no wonder it was so cold. I forgot my scarf."

Jooheon tsk-ed and shook his head. "You can't forget your scarf! Or else you'll get sick and we can't play Jenga with Hyunwoo hyung."

"Sorry..." Changkyun said, staring at the snow. "Next time I won't forget."

"Promise?"

"Promise, hyung."

Jooheon nodded in satisfaction. "Good."

Changkyun’s ears perked up  when he heard their names being called from a distance. But the voice didn’t belong to Hyunwoo. Instead, Hyungwon was peeking at them from between some cars, smiling brightly at the two boys.

“Oh!” Changkyun exclaimed. “Hyungwon hyung!”

Hyungwon smiled as he walked over. "What are you two doing?"

"We were grocery shopping," Jooheon said, looking pointedly at the grocery bag in his hands.

"By... yourselves?" Hyungwon asked as he glanced around the parking lot. "Are you two here alone? Hoseok and I can drive you back to your houses."

Changkyun blinked. "Yes... but, we're waiting for someone."

"Who?" Hyungwon asked, a fleeting concern lighting in his eyes.

"My mom," Jooheon said apprehensively.

Hyungwon raised an eyebrow. "Your mom left you two out here in the parking lot? With your groceries?"

"...Yes?"

"Hm... okay, then it would be alright if I wait for your mom with you, right?"

Changkyun looked to Jooheon curiously. "I guess so." He shrugged as he lifted his small cup of rice cakes up towards Hyungwon. "Would you like one?"

Hyungwon smiled and ruffled Changkyun's hair. "You're so cute," he chuckled. "But I couldn't take food from you."

Changkyun made a noise and shook his head. "It's okay!" he insisted. He poked one of the rice cakes with his toothpick and held it up towards Hyungwon. "Here!"

Hyungwon smiled with a happy sigh as he bent down to bite the rice cake off of Changkyun's toothpick. He rubbed Changkyun's cheeks with both of his hands as he chewed. "Thank you," he whispered softly.

Changkyun beamed as he grinned when suddenly the sound of falling grocery bags sounded from the side. All three of them turned their heads at the sound and found Hyunwoo standing there, his mouth slightly agape as he held Changkyun's scarf in one hand, and the grocery bags that he hadn't dropped in his other hand.

Jooheon's face split into a grin as he hopped towards Hyunwoo, singing, "Hyung!" Jumping into Hyunwoo's arms, Hyunwoo stumbled for a second before grasping Jooheon firmly. "Hyung, you dropped your groceries," Jooheon told him, laughing as if Hyunwoo had done it on purpose.

"...It seems I did," Hyunwoo muttered offhandedly as he stared unblinkingly. Jooheon followed his gaze and saw that he stared at Hyungwon who was still crouched down, his face also contorted in shock as he stared back at Hyunwoo.

"...Hyunwoo?" he whispered after a moment.

Hyunwoo blinked and shook his head, tearing his gaze away and stammering out, "I-I didn't know you were coming home."

"I didn't know you still lived here..." Hyungwon murmured. There was a smile playing at the edge of his lips.

Changkyun looked back and forth between the two of them, confusing clouding his eyes and making him pout. "Do you two know each other?" he asked.

Hyungwon blinked out of his small trance to smile down at him. "We did a while ago. Yes."

Hyunwoo stepped forward and for the first time in a long time, Changkyun thought he saw something akin to sparkles in them. Not the kind of sparkles when he won a game or fixed a car well -- it was the kind of sparkles that filled his eyes whenever he watched Jooheon and Changkyun be silly.

"It's been a while," he said, a smiling forming on his face. "Where have you-- How have you been? When did you graduate?"

"Three years ago," Hyungwon said softly. There was something warm filling his eyes as well. "I never told you, I'm so sorry."

"No, no, that's alright... it's fine." Hyunwoo blinked and shifted Jooheon in his arms. "Uh, I-- we haven't really--"

"Spoken in a while?"

"...Yeah."

Hyungwon smiled and stared down at his feet and Changkyun swore he saw a light shade of pink dusting the tall man's cheeks. "Yes, it's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"It's been a while, yeah." Hyunwoo nodded. He cleared his throat and Changkyun realized that he was blushing also. "Well, the drive in still opens every Sunday. So I guess not much has changed around here in seven years."

"No, I suppose not," Hyungwon whispered. "You don't look like you've changed much either."

Hyunwoo chuckled to himself softly. "But look at you! You've graduated university and I'm sure you're successful. You even... You even look more grown up. Your cheeks aren't as big as they used to be."

Hyungwon reached up and laughed as he touched his cheeks. "Yes, I've lost the baby fat."

"Too bad," Hyunwoo said softly, but jokingly. "It was always so cute."

It was silent for a few moments as Hyungwon rubbed his arms sheepishly. Changkyun kept looking forth between the two of them, chewing on his rice cakes slowly as he studied their faces. Hyunwoo coughed after another moment.

"What, uh... What brings you back home? I'm sure you've got a job somewhere else."

"Oh, I work from home, actually. I came home because--"

"Honey, where did you go-- Oh, there you are. I swear you keep disappearing on me." Hoseok came from around the cars, chuckling as he found Hyungwon. He placed a hand on his back and smiled at Changkyun warmly. "Oh, I didn't know Changkyun and Jooheon were here."

Jooheon felt Hyunwoo's arms around him stiffen and watched his eyes dim as Hoseok arrived. "...Who's this?" he asked, his voice deep.

"Oh," Hyungwon said softly, looking in between the two of them. His eyes darkened suddenly also, Changkyun noticed. "Hoseok, this is Hyunwoo -- I grew up with him also."

Hoseok nodded at Hyunwoo with a large smile. "Hi, it's nice to meet you."

"You too," Hyunwoo murmured.

"And Hyunwoo, this is Hoseok." Hyungwon's eyes seemed to bore straight into Hyunwoo as he quietly finished, "He's my... he's my fiance."

Hyunwoo's eyebrows raised at the words. "O-...Oh. Really?" he said. Jooheon furrowed his eyebrows because his hyung never sounded like this before.

"Yes," Hyungwon replied, staring at Hyunwoo unblinkingly.

Hoseok stared back and forth between the two of them silently before pursing his lips and pulling a large smile on his face. "Well! We should get going, sweetie, I told your dad we'd be home soon." He leaned over and pecked Hyungwon on the lips. "Let's go, yeah?"

Jooheon could feel Hyunwoo's heart skip a beat in his chest.

"Oh," Hyungwon said. He looked over to the two boys and Hyunwoo. "I told the boys I would wait for their mom with them--"

"That's okay, you don't need to," Hyunwoo interrupted suddenly. He bent down to retrieve the grocery bag he had left on the floor and straightened his back. "They were waiting for me."

"Really?" Hyungwon asked. "Jooheon told me they were waiting for his mom."

"I told him to say that," Hyunwoo said curtly. "I'm hanging out with them today so... we should get going also." He took Changkyun's hand with his free one and nodded towards Hyungwon and Hoseok. "It was really nice seeing you again, Hyungwon."

Hyungwon stared at him, an unreadable expression in his eyes. "I see. It was nice seeing you again also," he said as Hoseok wrapped an arm around his shoulder and began pulling him away. "We should... catch up sometime."

"Yeah," Hyunwoo murmured as he watched the two of them walk away to their car. After a few more moments he sniffed and started walking again. "Let's go boys," he said.

Jooheon and Changkyun shared a confused look with each other.

  
  
  


"If I move that piece, it'll fall," Changkyun whined. He stared at the precariously stacked Jenga pieces in front of him.

Jooheon studied the tower a little bit. "Maybe if you pull the one on the bottom?"

"That will make it fall too!"

After putting away the groceries, Hyunwoo had taken out the Jenga set like he promised and they all laid down on their stomachs on his carpeted floor in front of his worn sofa while he plugged in his heater near their feet. Even though Hyunwoo lived down the street from them, his house was so different from theirs. Hyunwoo didn't have a heater he could turn on, only small ones that he had to plug in around the house. Sometimes his lights didn't work and his stove was an old gas stove that Changkyun used to be afraid of.

But despite all the inconveniences, they always realized that their hyung was pretty okay with the way he lived and they didn't mind it either. It was always warm.

Changkyun let out a large sigh and looked to Hyunwoo who was laying with his chin nested in his arms. "Hyung, what do you think?" Hyunwoo didn't respond. "Hyung?"

Jooheon looked up at Hyunwoo confusedly. He waved his hand towards him, trying to catch his attention. "Hyunwoo hyung?"

"Huh--?" Hyunwoo blinked and snapped out of his trance. "Oh, is it my turn?"

Changkyun shook his head. "No, it's my turn..." He sighed and sat up, hugging his legs to his chest. "Hyung, are you okay?"

Hyunwoo raised an eyebrow as he propped himself up on his elbows. "What? What makes you say that?"

Jooheon tilted his head and blinked. "You're acting funny."

"Funny? I don't know what you're talking about." Hyunwoo looked up at the clock ticking on his wall and said, "We should clean up, anyways, I should feed you guys before I bring you home."

"Awww," Changkyun whined as they took apart their Jenga tower. He watched Hyunwoo put away the pieces and then head over to the kitchen, where he and Jooheon followed loyally. "Hyung, how do you know Hyungwon hyung?"

Jooheon saw Hyunwoo's eyes spark at the name being mentioned, his back stiffening as he retrieved food from his small refrigerator. "We grew up here together," he said simply.

"You were friends?" Changkyun asked as he hopped onto the seat at the small dining table. "Like with Kihyun?"

"...Sort of," Hyunwoo murmured, mostly to himself. Then towards the boys, he said, "Yes, Hyungwon was friends with Kihyun and me. We would hang out together."

Jooheon rested his chin in his hands and asked, "Did you take him ice skating too? Like you did with us?"

Hyunwoo chuckled humorless as he rinsed some vegetables in his sink. "Yeah. Yeah, I did. We would ice skate together a lot. Hyungwon was never that good at it though."

Changkyun hummed to himself, playing with the linoleum edges of Hyunwoo's dining table as he swung his legs. "It's cool that you two remember each other."

Hyunwoo chuckled as he slammed a knife down across some celery. "Can't forget each other when we used to date," he muttered.

It was quiet after that, nothing but the sound of Hyunwoo chopping vegetables and meat and throwing them into a pan filling the room. Jooheon stared at him as he cooked.

"When did you and Hyungwon hyung date?"

Hyunwoo smiled nostalgically. "Before Hyungwon left for college. We'd been dating since middle school."

"Did you break up?" Jooheon asked.

"We--... things just didn't work out between us." Hyunwoo smiled at the two of them as he placed his food onto a plate and into the center of the table.

"Did you really like him?" Changkyun asked as Hyunwoo went to scoop rice into bowls for them.

Hyunwoo didn't turn around, his back facing the two of them as he replied, "Yeah."

"Did he like you too?"

“...Yeah, I'd like to think so,” Hyunwoo chuckled as he returned with bowls and chopsticks for the three of them.

"Were you going to get married?" Changkyun asked.

Hyunwoo shot him a look as he sat down. _"That,"_ he said, "is none of your guys' business. What's with all these questions, anyways? Getting nosy all of a sudden," he teased. "You usually don't ask this much."

"We don't usually meet someone who's a friend of yours!" Changkyun replied. "And Hyungwon hyung is very nice."

Hyunwoo smiled softly at him as he picked up his chopsticks. "Well, it doesn't matter anymore... he's engaged now, after all."

Jooheon looked at him curiously as they all began to eat. "Hyung..." he said after a few minutes. "Do you still like him?"

Hyunwoo positively choked at that comment and coughed into his fist. Changkyun stared at him flatly and then turned to Jooheon.

"Hyung keeps getting surprised."

"Yeah, it's funny."

They both laughed as Hyunwoo regained his composure and frowned at Jooheon. "Jooheon, you shouldn't ask that."

"Why not! I want to know!"

"Well--! Because he's engaged!" Hyunwoo stressed. "It doesn't matter if I still like him or not! None of that matters anymore."

Changkyun and Jooheon shared a glance with each other across the table as Hyunwoo returned back to his food. They ate quietly for a bit longer until Changkyun spoke up in his softest, quietest voice.

"Hyung? How did you and Hyungwon hyung meet?"

Hyunwoo sighed but smiled softly. "You two are really curious, aren't you?"

Jooheon nodded and Changkyun followed suit. "Yeah. We want to know because... you seem kind of sad about it today."

Hyunwoo smiled at the two of them appreciatively. "You guys always get me to talk so easily. Sometimes I think I accidentally let out too much around you guys."

Changkyun giggled. "That's good though, right?"

"I don't know," Hyunwoo joked. "It might turn against me one day. But... thanks for being concerned, I guess." He let out a large sigh. "Man, the only people who care about me are two five year old kids and Kihyun." Shaking his head, he said, "What a shame."

"Hey! I'm six!" Jooheon exclaimed. "And we can make good friends too!"

"I know, I know," Hyunwoo laughed, reaching over to ruffle Jooheon's hair. "Thanks. Even if you are just small little kids."

Changkyun grinned at him expectantly. "So... you'll tell us about when you and Hyungwon hyung dated?"

Hyunwoo nearly rolled his eyes but he still laughed at their giddiness. "Okay, sure, why not -- I can tell you about how we started dating."

"Yay!" the two of them cheered in unison.

"But only if you guys _promise_ to finish all the food in your bowl."

They nodded excitedly. "Promise!"

"Alright then." Hyungwon looked at that expectantly to make sure they were serious about keeping their promise. "Well you already know, but Hyungwon grew up here. He's the mayor's son. And I guess we... we always sort of liked each other. But we didn't date until middle school."

"Isn't that where my mommy pays the taxes?" Changkyun asked, his face twisted in confusion.

Jooheon stared at him for a long moment before shaking his head. "Kyun, that's middle _class."_

"Oh."

  
  
  


Hyungwon wasn't sure what he was going here for. No, he knew why he was visiting. Perhaps he just wasn't sure why he felt the need to. But after seeing Hyunwoo for the first time in so long, it didn't feel right to have just walked away from him in the grocery store parking lot. At least, it didn't feel right to Hyungwon.

He had heard from his father that Hyunwoo owned a garage shop in town. Apparently, Hyunwoo was the one who had fixed his father's car's brakes on the first day he had returned. It didn't surprise him that Hyunwoo was doing something like this -- doing something such as fixing cars for a living. It suited him, Hyungwon thought.

His garage shop was easy to find, as it was the only one in the area. The garage was wide open and there was a car inside. It seemed that Hyunwoo was working on chaining some tires for somebody in town. A smile graced Hyungwon's face when he saw that Jooheon and Changkyun were there also, playing with the tools on the side as they looked like they were talking Hyunwoo's ear off.

Hyunwoo saw him coming from a distance, his smile fading slightly as he stood up from the ground. "Hey," he murmured as Hyungwon came close.

Hyungwon smiled at him fondly as he waved to the two boys. Changkyun waved a wrench back at him. "This place is yours, I heard?"

"Yeah, this is the place," Hyunwoo replied. "What brings you here? Were the new brakes I installed in your dad's car faulty?"

"No," Hyungwon said quickly. "No, they're perfectly fine. I just wanted to come talk to you."

Hyunwoo pursed his lips and raised an eyebrow. "Me? I don't think there's much to talk about when it comes to me," he said, walking backwards to put some tools into the box behind him.

"Don't be silly," Hyungwon insisted with a small chuckle. "I just wanted to come see you. We didn't really get a chance to talk in the parking lot."

Hyunwoo snickered as he sat down on a stool next to the two boys who were still in their own little world. "Well, it's hard to make conversation in a parking lot," he joked.

“Yes, I suppose that’s true,” Hyungwon joked, smiling down at his feet. "But I see you've got your own business. You must be proud of that," he said with a smile.

Hyunwoo shrugged. "It's small but it helps me get by. What about you?"

Changkyun stopped fiddling with the wrench to look up at Hyungwon curiously. Hyungwon shifted his weight. "I'm sure I mentioned to you that I work from home. But it's mostly because I'm looking to move back home to work for my dad."

"Oh, really?" Hyunwoo replied in interest. "That must be exciting. I know you always wanted to work in the town hall like your father."

Hyungwon nodded. "Yes, it's most certainly something I would like."

It was quiet then, an awkward silence enveloping them as the two boys kept clinking away with tools on the ground. Hyunwoo shifted his gaze away and pulled a drill out of Jooheon's hands.

"Jooheon, don't play with the power tools. I told you already," he admonished.

Jooheon pouted but nodded. "Sorry," he apologized softly as he turned his attention to some different tools.

Hyungwon cleared his throat. "Do you bring them here often?" he asked, looking pointedly at Jooheon and Changkyun.

Hyunwoo let out a soft chuckle as he watched the boys carefully. "Yeah, when I can. Jooheon here says he wants to grow up to be a mechanic also," he said proudly.

"Oh, do you?" Hyungwon asked, squatting down to get closer to the boys.

"Yes!" Jooheon said excitedly. "I want to grow up to be just like Hyunwoo hyung!"

"How sweet," Hyungwon cooed. He reached over to caress Jooheon's cheek. He looked back up at Hyunwoo with a smile. "They're such sweet boys."

Hyunwoo smiled and nodded, saying, "Yeah, they definitely are."

Hyungwon bit his lip and looked away. Something about looking at Hyunwoo now, after all their years of being apart, felt strange. "Are you going to be working for much longer?" he asked.

"I'm just about done, actually," Hyunwoo said. "I called the owner of the car and they can't come until tomorrow morning so I'm probably going to close up shop soon. I promised to take the boys sledding afterwards."

Hyungwon's eyes just about lit up. "Sledding? Like on the small slope next to the frozen pond?"

Jooheon noticed how Hyunwoo's eyes seemed to sparkle slightly at the mention of the place. "Yeah..." he said, his voice deep. "You... you still remember that place?"

Hyungwon nodded. "Of course... we would go there every year."

Changkyun's face lit up as he gasped. "You mean when you guys used to date?!"

"Changkyun--!" Hyunwoo exclaimed, clasping his hand quickly over the child's giggling mouth. He looked up apologetically at Hyungwon's taken back expression. "Sorry..." he muttered. "The kids were asking me the other day about how we knew each other and I--"

"It's okay," Hyungwon interjected quickly with a soft smile. In different light, perhaps they would have been able to see the soft blush that graced his cheeks. "It did happen."

Hyunwoo laughed uncomfortably as he took his hand away from Changkyun's face and rubbed his knuckles into his hair playfully. "Yeah, this little devil just never knows when to keep his mouth shut."

Changkyun just laughed and shook his hair back into place.

Hyungwon mumbled something along the lines of _precious_ under his breath as he stood back up. He wrung his hands, something he did whenever he felt a little nervous. But he had no reason to feel nervous -- Hyunwoo was just his ex. He wanted to say more to empty the silence between them but the invisible barrier there felt overwhelming to Hyungwon.

He meant to say something more when the sound of footsteps came towards the garage shop. He turned around and saw Kihyun in a big scarf with bags in his hands coming to them.

“Oh, Hyungwon!” Kihyun exclaimed, a grin on his face. “What brings you here?”

Hyungwon smiled at him cordially. “I just wanted to visit Hyunwoo’s shop.”

Kihyun raised an eyebrow at him as he walked past. “I see you guys met again,” he mentioned interestedly. He handed a bag to Hyunwoo and gave him a half hug and then bent down to kiss both of the small boys on the forehead. “Have you guys been talking long?” he asked as he sat down with the two boys.

Hyungwon shook his head. “No, not long at all. I just… got here.”

“Oh,” Kihyun murmured as he shared a meaningful glance with Hyunwoo. Hyunwoo ignored him.

Hyungwon cleared his throat and smiled wider. “Are you going to be sledding with them?”

“Me? Oh, no,” Kihyun laughed. “I have to work, I just came by to drop off lunch for them for when they sled.”

“Right,” Hyungwon responded with a nod. “It would be best if I got going then. Hoseok is waiting to have lunch with me at home.” He took a few steps backwards out of the open garage and back onto the street. “I shouldn’t keep him waiting too long.”

“Oh, that’s right your fiance!” Kihyun exclaimed with bright eyes. “Congratulations again, by the way.”

“Thank you.” Hyungwon smiled at him appreciatively. He tilted his head and looked back and forth between Hyunwoo and Kihyun curiously. Then slowly, he said, “I… didn’t realize you two still talked.”

Kihyun gave him a strange look as he pulled Jooheon into his lap. “Us? Of course we talk, we’re still as close as ever. I bring Hyunwoo lunch every day if I can.”

“Yeah, if I’m not already at Kihyun’s place getting food,” Hyunwoo joked as he punched Kihyun lightly.

Jooheon’s eyes lit up as he kneeled up in Kihyun’s embrace. “Oh! We still need to go get a Christmas tree for the cafe! You promised we would!”

Kihyun grinned at him. “That’s right, isn’t it! We still need to go tree shopping. When are you free?” he asked towards Hyunwoo.

Hyunwoo scratched his neck in thought. “You’re closed on Sundays, right? I can find some time then and we can all go together.”

“Oh, perfect!”

Hyungwon stared at the four of them quietly as they spoke before finally saying, “Well, I’m sure that you must need to head out soon if you want to sled before the sun sets.” He stared at Hyunwoo and something about Hyunwoo’s stoic gaze felting like it was boring a hole into him.

Hyunwoo pursed and then opened his lips as to say something. But after a moment, he simply said, “Yeah, that’s true. You came all the way here to talk though, I don’t want to feel like I’m kicking you out or anything--”

“Oh, don’t worry about it, I really should get going anyways. I’ll see you both later. Have fun sledding,” he added as he took some more steps back.

“Hyungwon--” Hyunwoo began, standing up.

Hyungwon shook his head as he took another step backwards. “No, please don’t let me get in the way of your plans today. We can talk later, I promise!”

Hyunwoo’s eyes widened. “Hyungwon, look _out!”_ he exclaimed.

It was only then did Hyungwon notice the patch of ice he was stepping onto and the jingling sound of a bicyclist’s bell near him. There wasn’t much time to react, but it seemed he didn’t need to react when Hyunwoo was running towards him and clasping his arms around his shoulders and pulling him back to safety. He had barely begun to slip before he was being pulled forward onto Hyunwoo’s chest safely.

“Oh--” Hyungwon stammered as the bicyclist gusted by. His hands had instinctively clutched to Hyunwoo’s front and he let go quickly.

“Could you maybe be a little more careful if you’re walking on to an icy sidewalk?” Hyunwoo said with a heavy sigh. His face was so close to Hyungwon’s it almost made his heart skip a beat. “Honestly, Hyungwon, it’s like you haven’t changed at all.”

Hyungwon coughed as Hyunwoo awkwardly uncurled his arm from around his shoulders. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “I should have looked where I was going.”

“It’s fine. Just be more careful.” Hyunwoo blinked at him with an unreadable expression.

Hyungwon nodded as he went to leave again. “I will,” he said with a nod.

He bid them all goodbye again as he turned around to leave, much more attentive to his surroundings. As he walked away he could hear Kihyun and Hyunwoo talking behind him.

“Have you talked to him yet?”

“No. I haven’t.”

“You should.”

“Yeah well… he’s engaged, it doesn’t matter anymore.”

  
  
  


Jooheon furrowed his eyebrows and sat up, his crayon falling out of his hand and into his lap as Changkyun stared up at him innocently.

“What?” he asked again.

Changkyun kicked his feet in the air behind him as he continued coloring on his paper. “I think Hyunwoo hyung still likes Hyungwon hyung.”

They sat together in front of the fireplace in Jooheon’s house. It was after dinner and they were coloring together in front of the warm fire, talking about whatever crossed their minds. But when Changkyun had offhandedly remarked that Hyunwoo might have still liked Hyungwon, Jooheon was more than surprised.

“What makes you say that?” Jooheon asked as he slowly laid down on his belly again and picked up his crayon.

“Because!” Changkyun insisted. “You saw the way Hyunwoo hyung caught him like in the movies! And they used to date! This is just like a movie my mommy watched once when she thought I was sleeping.”

Jooheon raised an eyebrow and switched his crayon out for a different color. "What was the movie about?"

"The movie was about this girl and this guy who used to date when they were young. And then the boy went away to war I think. But then they ended up together later!" He looked up in thought. "...I can't remember if they both died or not at the end... But my mommy cried, so it must have been a good story!"

Jooheon scrunched his face. "I don't want Hyunwoo and Hyungwon hyung to die..."

"They won't die!" Changkyun insisted. "They'll just get married and be together forever."

"Still," Jooheon said skeptically. "How do you know that Hyunwoo hyung still likes Hyungwon hyung? They always just look at each other weirdly."

"I can tell," Changkyun said matter-of-factly, as if he had seen all types of romances throughout his five years of life. "Believe me, Hyunwoo hyung still likes him."

Jooheon hummed. "I don't know... Hyungwon hyung is engaged now. To Mr. Hoseok hyung."

"I think Hyungwon hyung still likes Hyunwoo hyung also," Changkyun commented. "But I'm not sure about that still..."

"We can't break up his engagement!" Jooheon said with a gasp.

Changkyun shrugged. "We're not trying to break it up. I just want them to spend more time together. Hyunwoo hyung looks like he missed him."

"That's true..." Jooheon murmured.

"Besides," Changkyun added, "my mom was engaged to a different man also! But then she met my dad and then they decided to get married," he said proudly.

Jooheon blinked as he scribbled something on his paper. "Hm... well, I think it would be nice if they could be with each other more often."

"Hyunwoo hyung said they used to go ice skating together! We should ask Hyungwon hyung to join us!"

"Oh!" Jooheon's eyes brightened. "That's a good idea!"

  
  


Getting Hyungwon to join them turned out to be easier than they had anticipated. They were hanging around in their front yard, waiting for Hyunwoo when Hyungwon came up to them. He was just talking a walk around the neighborhood when he came over to say hello.

“What are you boys going to do today?” he asked, tucking his earbuds into his pocket.

“We’re going to go ice skating!” Changkyun exclaimed as he raised his ice skates into the air. “With Hyunwoo hyung!”

Hyungwon’s eyes absolutely lit up. “You’re going to go ice skating? Are you going on that pond behind the daycare?”

Changkyun nodded enthusiastically. “We are!”

“Oh, that place is my favorite!” Hyungwon said excitedly. “Hyunwoo used to take me there all the time! I miss skating so much...”

Changkyun exchanged a glance with Jooheon. They hadn't known Hyungwon for very long time, but they had never seen him smile like this. His grin was so large that it nearly split his face in half and his eyes sparkled so brightly it was as if he had real stars in them.

“He did?” Changkyun replied as he smiled widely. “Hyunwoo hyung takes us there all the time too!”

“Really? Does he hold your hand when you go out onto the ice?” Hyungwon asked with sparkling eyes. “And does he guide you to the center of the pond?”

Jooheon gasped as he grinned in recognition. “Hyunwoo hyung does that to me all the time!”

“Isn’t it the best?” Hyungwon asked with the brightest look in his eyes as he reminisced to himself. He got a starry look in his eye as he thought hard. "What was that thing he used to do that I liked so much... Oh! Did he ever take you by the hands like this," he said, grasping Jooheon's hands gently, "and then spin you around on the ice like this?"

Jooheon giggled excitedly as he ran around in a circle with Hyungwon. "Hyung always does that with me!"

"And there was one more thing I loved that he did..." Hyungwon murmured to himself. His eyes widened as he remembered and he let go of one of Jooheon's hands in order to spin him around with the other. "He would spin me around just like this!"

"That's my favorite too!" Changkyun squealed in excitement. He laughed happily as Hyungwon took his hand and spun him around also.

"You know," Hyungwon said as he squat down to look them in the eye. He lowered his voice and whispered, "Sometimes, Hyunwoo and I would skip class and ice skate, _just_ with each other.” His voice was low but excited as ever. In fact, Changkyun didn't think he had ever seen Hyungwon look so animated before in the short time they had known each other. Hyungwon laughed out loud into the open air, his breath floating up into the air as smoke as he said, "I would always get in trouble with my dad if he ever found out! But ice skating was our little secret. Oh, and I remember this one time he--!"

Hyungwon suddenly stopped then. The lights in his eyes dimmed and he bit his lip as if he needed to stop was he was talking about. Changkyun felt his grip loosen as he seemed to deflate and stand back up halfheartedly.

He cleared his throat and pulled a close lipped grin back onto his face. "Never mind that. I suppose that doesn't matter anymore."

Jooheon and Changkyun exchanged another glance with each other. Changkyun blinked up at Hyungwon curiously. “What is it?” he asked.

Hyungwon shook his head. “No, it’s nothing. Really, you kids shouldn’t be worried about it.” He seemed to force his smile wider as he said, “I should probably head home… but you two have a wonderful time!”

Changkyun didn’t hesitate to grab onto Hyungwon’s hand to make him stay. Then blinking innocently he asked, “Why don’t you come with us?”

“...What?” Hyungwon asked softly, his eyebrows furrowing in the slightest.

“Come skate with us! You said you miss it, right?” Changkyun asked with sparkling eyes. “You should come with us!”

Hyungwon blinked as his mouth gaped for a few moments. “I-I-... I couldn’t possibly intrude on your time with Hyunwoo--”

“He won’t mind,” Jooheon insisted. “I think he misses you too.”

“He-He does?”

Jooheon nodded casually. “Yeah. You should come with us! We can all hang out!”

Hyungwon bit his lower lip and looked over his shoulder at his house. “Well, I… think I might fit my old skates from high school. But only if you two are positive that Hyunwoo won’t mind.” He looked at them sternly.

Changkyun and Jooheon nodded in unison. “He won’t!” they insisted.

Hyungwon still looked a little reluctant to go but after some seconds, he nodded and told them he would be right back.

  
  
  


It turned out that Hyunwoo did mind a little bit, but only at the beginning. He looked a little more than shocked when Hyungwon had turned up with his skates in hand and he gave Changkyun and Jooheon a dirty look when Hyungwon explained that the boys had invited him.

Hyungwon had tried to excuse himself again after seeing how surprised Hyunwoo looked, but Hyunwoo insisted that he come now that he had been invited. Changkyun and Jooheon were much too elated when Hyunwoo sighed in defeat and nodded for Hyungwon to join them. The snow crunched beneath their boots as they headed to the pond. It was somewhat awkwardly quiet between Hyungwon and Hyunwoo despite them walking with each other. They didn't talk much as they followed the two bouncing boys.

Hyungwon hadn't skated in a while -- years, actually. He hadn't even touched skates ever since he left his hometown. But when he laced up his shoes and stepped onto that ice, he felt something nostalgic warm up his insides. Something about watching Hyunwoo hold Jooheon's hands as he stepped onto the ice and something about how Changkyun slid around playfully just warmed his body right to the core.

"Come skate with me!" Changkyun exclaimed as he grabbed Hyungwon's hands. They spun around with each other in a quick circle, Hyungwon laughing out loud as Changkyun clutched onto his hands as if his dear life depended on it.

"Changkyun slow down!" Hyungwon laughed.

It wasn't long before they were spinning out of control and falling down on to their butts and sliding on the ice. Changkyun's giggles were so high and happy, it sent excited thrills to Hyungwon's heart.

He didn't know what it was about Changkyun, or even Jooheon, but something about the small boy made him so intensely happy.

"Hyung, hyung, spin me too!" Jooheon yelled happily as he grabbed Hyungwon's hands.

"Oh, Jooheon! I'm still dizzy!" he laughed as he stood up on wobbly legs. Jooheon squealed when Hyungwon fell right back down again.

Hyunwoo laughed as he skated over. "Be careful there," he said as he took both of their hands and helped Hyungwon stand up. He smiled at Hyungwon fondly as he murmured, "If you don't be careful you'll just fall over from the wind."

Hyungwon felt himself grin as he furrowed his eyebrows. "Hey," he said, "I'm not _that_ weak anymore."

"I don't know," Hyunwoo hummed playfully as he helped Hyungwon steady himself, "you lost all your baby fat so if anything, you're even lighter than you were back then."

"I'm _not,"_ Hyungwon insisted although he let out a short gasp as he slipped on the ice again. Hyunwoo was quick to catch him around the waist and steady him.

"You sure?" Hyunwoo joked, laughing as Hyungwon slapped his arm away gently.

Hyungwon rolled his eyes. "I can skate on my own, thank you very much."

"Whatever you say," Hyungwoo sang playfully.

Letting go of Hyunwoo's other hand and sliding over, Jooheon grabbed onto Hyungwon's leg with both his arms and looked up at him. "Hyung, spin with me, okay?"

Hyunwoo gasped in mock offense. "Jooheon, you don't want to spin with me?"

Jooheon shook his head. "I want to spin with Hyungwon hyung! Changkyun did it and it looked fun."

"It was fun!" Changkyun giggled as he slipped around in circles.

Hyunwoo laughed as he bent down to catch Changkyun in his arms. "Whoa, slow down there tiger. You're still dizzy from spinning around."

Changkyun laughed, "Just a little bit!" Then he slipped around some more, his feet skidding around on the ice as Hyunwoo held him up steadily.

"They love spinning around on the ice, don't they?" Hyungwon asked as he and Jooheon began spinning on the ice also.

Hyunwoo chuckled. "Yeah, they tend to favor spinning for some reason."

Hyungwon grinned as he and Jooheon spun slowly. "Can't blame them -- it's quite fun."

It seemed like they spun for hours on end on the ice. The cold air nipped at their noses and stung their cheeks but they were having so much fun with laughing and skating, they hardly noticed. They eventually spun so much that they had to get off the ice before they were unable to sit up anymore. Their cheeks were rosy from laughter as they all stumbled off the ice and fell into the snowbanks.

They laughed and lay there until dusk began to fall and Jooheon and Changkyun weren't dizzy anymore. Instead of going back on the ice, they decided to build another small snowman on the edge of the pond as Hyunwoo and Hyungwon sat nearby, watching them carefully.

Hyungwon sighed happily as he watched the two boys frolicking in the snow. "They're such sweet boys," he murmured under his breath. He glanced over at Hyunwoo and smiled at him. "You're really lucky to have them around you all the time."

Hyunwoo crossed his legs, leaning back onto his hands in the snow. "Yeah, they're great kids. I love hanging around them but sometimes I feel like I don't have any friends around my age."

"You have Kihyun," Hyungwon told him.

Hyunwoo shrugged and smiled. "Yeah, I guess I have Kihyun."

Hyungwon sat up straighter and cleared his throat. "I forgot to offer my congratulations, by the way."

"Congratulations? For what?" Hyunwoo furrowed his eyebrows.

"You and Kihyun..." Hyungwon said slowly as he studied Hyunwoo's face. "You two are... dating, aren't you?"

Hyunwoo's face scrunched into a frown as he sat up straighter also. "What?" he asked sharply. "What would make you think that?"

Hyungwon shrugged. "I assumed so. Since Kihyun brings you and lunch and you're at his cafe all the time. And the boys seem to treat you two as an item together."

Hyunwoo blinked at him before scoffing out a laugh and mindlessly playing with some twigs in the snow. "We're not dating," he said curtly.

"...You're not?" Hyungwon asked softly.

Shaking his head, Hyunwoo replied, "No, we aren't. I-... I would never date Kihyun."

Hyungwon blinked his eyes in confusion as he stared at Hyunwoo curiously. "You wouldn't?" he asked. "Why not?"

"I just wouldn't."

"He likes you though," Hyungwon said quietly. "I know I've been gone for seven years but I can still tell. He likes you."

Hyunwoo chuckled to himself as he threw a handful of snow. "Yeah, I know," he replied. "Believe me, I know."

"Then why don't you date him?" Hyungwon asked. "He likes you and... I'm sure you've been single for a while."

The way Hyunwoo looked at him afterwards made Hyungwon think that he had said something wrong on accident. Maybe Hyunwoo didn't like talking about his single life. But after a moment, Hyunwoo's face cracked into a smile and he tore his gaze away to stare at his lap.

"It's that obvious that I haven't been dating anyone, huh?" he asked.

Hyungwon chuckled to himself softly. "A bit," he admitted.

Hyunwoo shrugged. "Well, I don't like Kihyun -- at least, not like that. I would never date him. Not my type."

"You have a type?" Hyungwon asked.

Hyunwoo looked over to him and their gazes locked. Hyungwon could feel his heart skip a beat as it jumped into his throat at the way Hyunwoo stared at him. He didn't know why he became like this -- it had been years since they broke up.

"Yeah," Hyunwoo said. "I have a type."

Hyungwon cleared his throat and looked away. "Oh, well... I hope you find someone that matches it eventually."

Hyunwoo snorted. "Yeah, me too, I guess. Speaking of congratulations, by the way, I forgot to offer mine. You know, about your engagement."

"Oh, right," Hyungwon said with a light laugh. "Thank you," he replied.

"How did you guys meet?" Hyunwoo asked.

Hyungwon looked up in thought. "Well, Hoseok and I met at this party while I was at university. It sounds wild but the kinds of parties at my school were just rich kids sipping on wine and talking about stocks and politics."

"Sounds like you fit right in."

With a soft snort, Hyungwon punched Hyunwoo's shoulder lightly. "I don't," he said. "It was kind of suffocating, honestly. But Hoseok was like a breath of fresh air. He wasn't so... stuck up like the other kids."

Hyunwoo nodded silently.

"Hoseok was easy to confide in," Hyungwon continued as he stared at the snow in front of him. "I guess it was nice to talk to someone when I felt so alone," he said, looking back up at Hyunwoo.

"...Sorry to hear that," Hyunwoo muttered.

"It's okay," Hyungwon replied. "It wasn't your fault. Besides, it's how I met Hoseok. You know, I didn't think we were going to get along at first because he's an heir to a tech company and he's so proper. He's got such a name for himself already and he's barely done anything."

"Is that why you're like this now?" Hyunwoo asked.

Hyungwon blinked at him. "...What?" he asked.

"The reason you talked the way you did when you came back," Hyunwoo explained. "You talk like you have to constantly be polite or like you have to be professional all the time. I don't know, when we talked it was like you didn't know me anymore or something."

"Oh... Oh, I'm so sorry I made you feel that way," Hyungwon quickly apologized. "I didn't mean to--"

Hyunwoo cut him off, "Hyungwon, it's fine. You _don't_ act like you don't know me so everything is okay. It's just... you can relax around me, Hyungwon. I know we're technically exes but I'd like to think we're still friends." He smiled at him.

Hyungwon felt his cheeks flush and he figured it must have been the cold. "...Yeah," he murmured in reply.

Hyunwoo pushed him ever so slightly with a soft laugh. "Watching you skate was like looking at your old self. So loosen up!"

Hyungwon shot him a look before pulling a smile back onto his face. "You're one to talk," he joked. "You were the one who needed to loosen up the most back when we were dating."

"Not my fault you were a wild child."

"I wasn't a wild child, you were just a stick in the mud."

"I believe if my memory serves me correctly, a more accurate version of that statement would be calling me a robot."

Hyungwon giggled to himself. "Yeah, that sounds about right."

Hyunwoo shrugged as if there wasn't much he could do to help himself. "Well, you're not exactly wrong. I'd like to think I loosened up a bit more ever since the boys came into my life," he said, looking pointedly at Jooheon and Changkyun. They were both shaping a big mound of snow into what looked like a volcano.

Hyungwon chuckled to himself. "Maybe I should hang around them also to loosen up. It would be a good idea to loosen up before I get married. Otherwise I'll collapse from the stress."

Hyunwoo stared at him for a moment, stared at the way dusk gave his face the warmest, golden glow. "You know," he said after a few seconds, "if you're looking to distract yourself from your pre-wedding stress, you really can hang out with me and the boys if you like. They seem to really have taken a liken to you and it would be nice to catch up with you also."

"Really?" Hyungwon asked, his eyes lighting up and catching onto the bright rays of dusk. "You wouldn't mind if we spent more time together? Oh, I didn't mean like--"

"No, I wouldn't mind," Hyunwoo told him with a smile. "I think it'll be good for both of us. And I know the boys would be more than happy to drag you along with whatever antics they decided to get up to that day."

Hyungwon bit his bottom lip to try and conceal the big, goofy grin that threatened to split his face. "I... would really like that," he said, look up at Hyunwoo in earnest. "A lot. Especially after all the wedding planning I've been doing before finally coming here, I think it would be nice to just relax and not feel busy for once. And I feel like... I can relax with you and the boys now."

Hyunwoo smiled at him. "Yeah, I feel like that too. I'm really glad." He looked over pointedly at the two boys who were now throwing snow at each other. "And I think they would like having you around a lot also."

Hyungwon wasn't quite sure what the feeling surging in his heart was. But he did know that it was because of Hyunwoo, Jooheon and Changkyun. And he liked that feeling a lot.

  
  
  


"Hey, are you heading out again?"

Hyungwon looked up to find Hoseok staring at him from the kitchen table. He had his laptop out in front of him and some scattered sheets of paper that were surrounding it.

Hyungwon wrapped the scarf around his neck tighter. "I'm going to go tree shopping with Hyunwoo and the boys today."

Hoseok made a face as he reached for one of his pieces of paper that was filled with charts and statistics. "You're going out with them again?" he asked. "Didn't you go shopping and sledding with them earlier this week also? And ice skating again?"

"Yeah," Hyungwon said. "That's alright, isn't it?"

"Well... of course," Hoseok said slowly. He raked his soft brown hair back with his hand. "It's just you've been spending, what -- the past week hanging out with them? Don't you think that's a little much? We hardly see each other for a couple that's about to get married," he joked.

"You're working all the time though." Hyungwon made a face as he pulled on his snow boots. "Is it? It's really nothing, Hoseok. I just want to catch up and get to know the town again. I mean, I--"

"Grew up here, I know," Hoseok said with a kind smile. Then heaving a large sigh he said, "Well! You can go ahead, I'll just stay here and work."   
"Still?" Hyungwon asked sadly. He walked over to peck Hoseok on the lips lightly. "Even the week before our wedding?"

Hoseok smiled up at him. "Unfortunately, even before the week of our wedding. But don't worry -- after we're married I'll have a whole month off for just us!"

Hyungwon grinned as he leaned down and kissed him again. "Can't wait," he said.

"Oh, and your dad said something about how he found a house for us to move into after our honeymoon, right?"

Hyungwon nodded. "Yup, he said that my aunt is moving out of her house this week to go live in a different city with my grandparents. So we'll be moving there after we get married."

Hoseok hummed happily. "Perfect," he said as he looked back at his laptop. "I can't wait to take a break from all this company stuff."

Hyungwon chuckled at him. "I'm excited for you to get a break too. Plus, you'll be able to meet all my friends when you're free." He pouted and said, "Ever since you got here, you've barely met any of my friends I grew up with."

"I can maybe take a break around lunch today and you can properly introduce me to them?" Hoseok suggested. "And we can go out to lunch or something."

"That could be a good idea," Hyungwon said thoughtfully. "Well, I'll let you know! I don't know how long choosing a Christmas tree will take. Especially with Changkyun and Jooheon," he chuckled.

Hoseok laughed lightly to himself as he quickly typed something into his laptop. "Sweet kids," he said under his breath. "Either way, I think I'll eat out for lunch today. Your dad as a council meeting to run and I don't want to eat alone in this house." He laughed.

"Sounds good, honey," Hyungwon said as he walked over to the door. "I'll see you tonight latest!"

"See you then!"

  
  
  
  


"That tree is so ugly."

"Changkyun! You shouldn't call the trees ugly."

"But look at it! It's all lopsided."

Jooheon frowned at Changkyun, swatting his pointed finger away. "Still, I'm sure _somebody_ likes the tree. Right?" Jooheon asked, looking up at Hyungwon.

Hyungwon smiled down at him and ruffled his hair. "Of course," he said matter-of-factly. "There will be someone who loves that tree a lot!"

Changkyun huffed, crossing his arms as he turned to find Hyunwoo in the small lot of Christmas trees. "Well, that person won't be me!"

Jooheon and Hyungwon followed after him, watching him skip around between all the deep green trees excitedly.

"I think we should pick a tree like this one!" Changkyun exclaimed, pointing at a big tall tree that seemed grand even from a distance. "It will look nice in Hyunwoo hyung's living room, don't you think?"

Hyunwoo rounded the corner then, finding them again. Hyungwon sighed because it would have seemed that Hyunwoo got so lost looking at the trees that he had wandered off on his own.

"You need to stay with the group," Hyungwon chided as he pulled Hyunwoo over to them. "Or else Changkyun will think it's okay to wander away. And it's not," he said, looking pointedly at Hyunwoo, "right?"

Hyunwoo nodded. "Right." Then to Changkyun he said, "Don't walk away unless you have Hyungwon hyung or me with you, okay?"

"I didn't though." Changkyun pouted. "I just walked a little ahead of them. But Hyunwoo hyung -- look at this tree! Won't it look good in your living room?"

Hyunwoo looked at the large tree with a tilt of his head and hummed to himself. "Don't you think it's a bit... too big for my house?" he asked as he took a knee next to Changkyun.

Changkyun looked up at the tree with bright eyes and murmured, "Hm... maybe it is too big. Hyung's house is kind of smaller than mine..."

"That's right, it is," Hyunwoo said with a small laugh. "My house is a lot smaller than yours. So what does that mean?"

"It means we need to get a smaller tree!" Jooheon piped up.

Hyungwon nodded. "That's absolutely right! Good job, Jooheon," he said with a small wink at the boy.

Jooheon positively beamed and Hyungwon could feel Jooheon's finger wiggle in his grip happily. "Let's go find the smaller trees then," he said proudly.

As a group, they walked over to where the smaller trees were clustered together. The tallest was probably no taller than Hyungwon himself while the shortest went up to Hyunwoo's bicep. Changkyun spotted a tree that grabbed his attention immediately. It went up to about Hyunwoo's neck and was shapely enough for Changkyun to approve.

"This tree?" Hyunwoo said when Changkyun pointed at it excitedly.

Changkyun nodded. "Yes! We should buy this one!"

Hyungwon looked to Hyunwoo and softly asked him, "Is it in your budget?"

Hyunwoo quietly replied with a smile, "Yeah, it is, don't worry." Then turning to the boys, he said, "Alright! We'll get this tree and then we can go to my house and decorate it."

"Yay!" they both cheered in unison.

"Ah-ah-ah," Hyungwon interrupted, bending down to rearrange the scarf on Jooheon's neck. "You boys will eat lunch first before you do any tree decorating, do you understand?"

Jooheon nodded. "Are you going to eat lunch with us, hyung?"

Hyungwon looked up at Hyunwoo. "Where are you planning to eat?"

Hyunwoo gave a crooked smile. "My place, of course. We've got a tree to decorate and put up, after all."

"Your place...?" Hyungwon murmured. He chuckled softly but Hyunwoo could see the bit of nervousness that was glittering in his eyes. "I haven't been to your place in... ages."

"That's okay," Changkyun said happily as Hyunwoo went to go get an employee to tie up their tree for them. "You can still eat lunch with us! And help us decorate the tree."

Hyungwon smiled at him before reaching to pinch Changkyun's cheek. "I wouldn't want to do anything else today."

  
  
  
  


Hoseok figured the cold air would help him clear his head after hours of looking at nothing but his laptop screen and papers. Stepping out of the house felt refreshing  to say the least, and the frigid air felt nice to breathe.

Hyungwon hadn't picked up when he had called. Hoseok wanted to know if they were still going to do lunch but Hyungwon seemed to be preoccupied, otherwise he would have picked up. So instead, he headed to the cafe on his own. In walking the streets, Hoseok realized that this was really the first time he had ever gone into town with Hyungwon by his side. And he realized, he didn't really know anyone.

As he arrived at the cafe, he relished in the warmth that swallowed despite how much he appreciated the cold. He ordered a coffee at the register and sat down with it next to a large window that could overlook the streets. As he sat down, his phone buzzed and he pulled it out to see that he got a text from Hyungwon

_Hey, probably can't do lunch together today. Still occupied with Hyunwoo and the boys haha! See you tonight then!_

Hoseok texted a quick reply back, saying how he would see him later and that he loved him. With a sigh he put his phone away and clasped his cold hands over the hot coffee cup. He supposed he would just be spending lunch alone now. It's not like he minded not having lunch with Hyungwon. It just felt a little lonelier without him, especially since he didn't really know anybody in town that well yet aside from Hyungwon and his father.

He sat alone for a few more minutes maybe, when he was caught off guard by somebody placing a small plate onto his table. Looking up, he recognized the man that Hyungwon had introduced him to on the first day they had arrived in town.

"Hey."

Hoseok pursed his lips as he tried to connect a name with the man's face. After a few moments, he finally stammered out, "Ki... hyun?"

Kihyun's eyes lit up. "Yeah, that's me!" he replied happily. "You remembered."

Hoseok chuckled at himself. "Well, how could I forget one of the few people I know the name of in this town? I didn't know you were working here."

With a soft snort, Kihyun said, "Yeah, well, I _do_ own the place. I just hired a cashier for the holiday season."

Hoseok raised an eyebrow at him. "Then what are you doing out here rather than in the kitchen?"

"You looked a little lonely," Kihyun said softly with a shrug. "I figured, you must be lonely since, like you said, you don't really know anyone yet. And the best cure for loneliness around here are my amazing biscuits!" he said proudly.

Hoseok took a chance to look down and saw that two biscuits were sitting on the plate in front of him. They were warm, still steaming from when they came out of the oven. "Oh, I-- didn't order it though--"

"Don't worry about it, it's on the house," Kihyun told him with a soft smile. "Would you mind if I sat down with you?"

"Oh no, please, go ahead," Hoseok said politely, gesturing to the seat across from him. "It'd be nice to talk to someone. I feel like I haven't left the house in days."

Kihyun laughed as he sat down. "Have you been busy with wedding preparations?"

Hoseok shook his head with a humorless smile. "No -- it hardly feels like I'm about to be married in a few days. I've just been working."

"Working?" Kihyun asked, his mouth gaping just slightly. "Are you working up until your wedding?"

Hoseok nodded sadly. "Yeah. I mean, luckily we already have everything planned and our suits are tailored already, but it's just... I don't know? It doesn't feel like I'm going to get married soon. It feels surreal," he chuckled.

Kihyun smiled. "I can imagine. Congratulations again, by the way!"

Hoseok nodded his thanks as he reached for a biscuit. "You make these yourself?"

"In house," Kihyun said proudly with a nod. "Everything I make here is fresh."

Raising an eyebrow, Hoseok took a bite as he said, "Impressive." Kihyun delighted in the way his eyes lit up at the soft biscuit. "Wow, that's good..." he muttered.

Kihyun laughed lightly and rested his chin on his palm. "Thanks," he said.

"Have you ever considered in investing in your business?" Hoseok asked. "Opening more storefronts in different towns?"

"Not really. I can't imagine not making all the stuff myself," Kihyun said with a half chuckle. "I'm kind a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to how the baking has to turn out. And besides, I'm fine with just feeding the people around here."

Hoseok gave a soft, crooked smile as he continued to finish the biscuit but by tearing one fluffy layer off after the other. "That's a shame," he said. "People are missing out on your baking."

"That's alright with me. As long as I have Hyunwoo and the boys I don't need anyone else to feed." Kihyun smiled softly as he gazed out the window.

"Oh, that's who Hyungwon has been hanging out with these days," Hoseok commented offhandedly. "He's been seeing them a lot this past week."

Kihyun's eyebrows shot up in curiosity. "He has?" He blinked a few times as if he wanted to say something but instead, he pulled a smile onto his face after a moment and simply said, "Well, that explains why Hyunwoo and the boys haven't been around that often this week. It's good to see them talking and hanging out again though."

Hoseok felt his hands slow down and his eyebrow raise slowly. "...Again?" he repeated. "What do you mean?"

Kihyun looked at him curiously as he sat up straighter. "Hyungwon and Hyunwoo?" Hoseok nodded as he picked up the second biscuit and Kihyun continued, "Well, I thought it was going to stay awkward between them since they hadn't spoken in a while. But I guess they were able to get comfy again like they used to."

Hoseok blinked slowly and lowered the biscuit in his hands back onto the plate. "I'm sorry," he said, blinking quickly as he chuckled humorlessly, "but I think I'm missing something. Did something happen between Hyungwon and Hyunwoo before Hyungwon left for college...?"

"Uh... yes?" Kihyun said in confusion. "They broke up before Hyungwon left for university."

A pang of something unidentifiable hit Hoseok right in the chest and he shook his head. He coughed out a laugh and blinked confusedly. "Hyungwon...? You mean they dated?"

"Yeah. You didn't know that?" Kihyun asked, his eyebrow raising. "They dated for... at _least_ seven years."

 _"Seven years?"_ Hoseok repeated. "That's longer than Hyungwon and _I_ have dated."

Kihyun smiled as he leaned forward in his chair and sighed reminiscently. "They were real sweet on each other, alright. Just about enamored with each other." It seemed that he was so wrapped up in remembering the past that he didn’t notice how Hoseok’s eyebrows began to furrow and how his eyes began to dim.

"Really..."

"Yeah." Kihyun nodded. "They were the sweetest," he said with an almost sad sigh. "Everyone thought they were going to grow up and marry each other. But they aren't."

Hoseok could have sworn he saw Kihyun send him a sideways glance as he said that. But instead he just murmured, "No, they aren't."

Then leaning forward, Kihyun whispered, "Rumor was that Hyungwon's dad encouraged him to go to university far away so that they couldn't date anymore."

"Is that so?" Hoseok said under his breath.

Kihyun nodded. "Yeah. Some say that the mayor didn't want his son dating someone like Hyunwoo. Wanted someone more upstanding and someone who more money." He stared at Hoseok without blinking. "I guess he got what he wanted."

Hoseok looked away and cleared his throat. "Did they... break up on bad terms? Is that why they were awkward recently?"

"I guess you could say that. I wouldn't say they broke up on bad terms, but both of their hearts just about broke when they found out Hyungwon was going away for university. They said they wanted to keep in touch but Hyunwoo went straight to work instead of college. And Hyungwon got busy studying. Guess they just drifted apart and never found the opportunity to speak again."

"I see..." Hoseok muttered.

“Sorry,” Kihyun chuckled, “I’m probably blabbing too much.” He only shrugged as he stood up. "But if you ask me, they were awkward recently because I think Hyunwoo still likes him. Can't say about Hyungwon though." He let out what Hoseok thought was a regretful sigh and then pulled a smile on his face. "Anyways, I've got to get back to work. Will you be staying around?"

Hoseok looked out the window and watched the snow drift down lightly. He felt a little bothered now knowing that the man Hyungwon had been hanging out with might still have feelings for him. And he didn't know how to feel after learning all of Hyungwon's history. But Hyungwon wouldn't be back until later that night so he supposed it would have been alright if he stayed out a bit longer.

"Yeah," he said. "I think I'll still be around for some time."

Kihyun smiled at him. "If you want, I can show you around town after I get off work. Figured you should get to know the place if you're planning to live here."

Hoseok felt himself pull a smile onto his face. "I would like that," he said. "If that's alright with you."

Kihyun snorted. "Of course it's alright with me, I offered. You and Hyungwon talk so weird and formal," he commented teasingly. "It's like going to that school tightened your laces or something."

Blinking confusedly, Hoseok stammered, "I-I'm not quite sure what you mean--"

"It means you got stiffer," Kihyun said with a short laugh. "And that you probably don't know how to have fun."

"Oh... hey," Hoseok said with a grin. "How would you know whether or not I know how to have fun?"

Kihyun shrugged and winked. "Lucky guess?"

Hoseok rolled his eyes and sipped his coffee. "I'll be around," he reassured. "I don't know what time Hyungwon is coming back tonight but I think a town tour wouldn't get in the way of anything."

"Sounds good. I'll meet you after I close up later," Kihyun said with a nod.

"Thanks, I really appreciate it." Hoseok looked down to his coffee as Kihyun began to walk back to his kitchen but quickly snapped his head back up after a moment. "Oh!" he called.

Kihyun paused in his steps and turned at the call. "Yeah?" he asked.

"Do you think I could get more biscuits until you close shop?"

Kihyun playfully rolled his eyes and sang, "You'll have to pay for them!"

"Pay for them? Even though I am your guest that you're hosting a tour for?"

"Looking at how fast you ate the two biscuits I gave you? If I gave you bottomless biscuits then you would eat at least thirty before I could show you around."

Hoseok rested his chin in his palm. "Hm... can't have that happening. I'm trying to lose weight before my wedding."

"With those biscuits, you definitely won't."

  
  
  
  


"Changkyun, don't-- Changkyun, what did I say about throwing the tinsel around!"

Changkyun laughed giddily as he wrapped the tinsel around his neck like a scarf and ran around the living room with it. Hyungwon heaved a sigh despite the grin that overwhelmed his face as he chased the energetic boy down.

“Honestly,” he sighed as he caught Changkyun and unraveled the tinsel from around his body, “I don’t know what’s making you so jumpy today.”

Changkyun giggled loudly. “I don’t know!” he laughed as he threw his body across the room again.

Hyunwoo chuckled as he strung some tinsel around the tree. “Maybe it was the chocolate you gave him after lunch,” he guessed as he watched Changkyun fly around the room.

“Maybe,” Hyungwon laughed.

After securing the tree they had chosen to Jooheon’s sled, they dragged it all the way back to Hyunwoo’s house where he set up the tree in the corner of his living room before sitting the boys down for lunch. The largest wave of nostalgia washed over Hyungwon when he entered his house -- he hadn’t been in Hyunwoo’s home in so long.

The place mostly hadn’t changed at all -- it was still a little rundown, a little worn and still lacked any proper heating or cooling appliances. Even now, Hyunwoo had the same, old, portable heater that he had to plug in to warm up his living room. Stepping into his house was like stepping back seven years into the past.

“You know the last time I was here,” Hyungwon commented, “your stove was broken.”

Hyunwoo snorted. “That was seven years ago. My stove works now.”

“What a miracle,” Hyungwon laughed to himself. “It’s like nothing ever changed around here. Except you, maybe.”

“Me?” Hyunwoo said with an amused raise of his eyebrow. “I mean, you’re right, I’ve probably changed while my house hasn’t.”

Hyungwon laughed as he caught Changkyun again and held him still in his lap. “Do you remember when I would come over every holiday season? And we would make hot chocolate and listen to Christmas songs on your old, janky radio.”

“You know, I might still have that.” Hyunwoo walked away to his bedroom and began rummaging through his closet.

“No way.” Hyungwon’s eyes widened. “You still have that piece of junk?”

“It is not a piece of junk,” Hyunwoo said from his bedroom. “It is a perfectly working piece of technology.”

“When was the last time you even used it?”

“Honestly?” Hyunwoo said as he emerged from his room. “It’s probably been a few years. Also, I do still have it.” He grinned cheekily as he held up an old radio that belonged nowhere in this decade.

Hyungwon snickered as he watched Hyunwoo plug it in. “I can’t believe you still have that,” he said as Changkyun jumped out of his arms and went to throw more tinsel on the tree with Jooheon.

“The real question is if it still works,” Hyunwoo said under his breath as he fixed the mini antennas. The sound of static filled the house for three seconds before Christmas songs came through and Hyunwoo broke out into a smile. “It does!”

Hyungwon couldn’t help the happy laughter that came out of his mouth as Hyunwoo clapped his hands to the music and danced his way over to help Jooheon hang some more ornaments on the trees. He wasn’t sure if snapping his fingers and shaking his head and shoulders counted as dancing, but Jooheon and Changkyun seemed to join him anyways.

“They still play the same songs over and over,” Hyungwon laughed as he went over to help lift Jooheon up to place an ornament on one of the taller branches.

Hyunwoo smiled crookedly at him. “Is that a complaint?”

Hyungwon glanced at the radio and how it blasted All I Want For Christmas so loudly and happily; shrugging, he looked back to Hyunwoo who was giving him a coy smile. “Hyunwoo, if you start--”

_“I don’t want a lot for Christmas! There is just one thing I need!”_

Jooheon and Changkyun piped up, singing, _“And I-I-I-I-I!”_

 _“Don’t care about the presents, underneath the Christmas tree!”_ Hyunwoo looked at Hyungwon pointedly as he continued, _“I don’t need to hang my stocking there upon the fireplace!”_

With a roll of his eyes, Hyungwon took Jooheon’s hands and started dancing with him around the room as he sang, _“Santa Clause won’t make me happy with a toy on Christmas day!”_

Hyunwoo and Changkyun joined them and together, they shouted, _“I just want you for my own! More than you could ever know! Make my wish come true! All I want for Christmas is you!”_

Hyungwon laughed as Changkyun spun himself around so hard he fell down with a plop. “You don’t even need ice to spin around and fall over,” Hyungwon joked as he picked him up on his feet.

“Nope!” Changkyun giggled.

“This guy just loves spinning around so much,” Hyunwoo chuckled, reaching down to rub his knuckles into Changkyun’s hair softly. “It’s a wonder how he walks straight at all.”

“Hyung! Do you have any other radio channels?”

Hyunwoo looked over his shoulder to see Jooheon who was poking at the radio’s antennae. Grinning sheepishly, he said, “Sorry buddy, but I think at this age, my radio can probably only tune into one station.”

“This age?” Hyungwon repeated with a teasing smile. “Hyunwoo, it could only tune into one station seven years ago also. Your radio was only good for Christmas music.”

Hyunwoo laughed and shrugged towards Jooheon. “He’s right. I’ve only got Christmas music.”

“What was that one song…?” Hyungwon asked with a tilt of his head. “The song that the DJ loved so much she played it over and over so we also had to hear it constantly.”

Hyunwoo raised an eyebrow and asked, “The other one with Mariah Carey?”

“No, no.” He shook his head. “The one we would dance to. You know the one we--”

As if on cue, the sound of deep saxophones and sleigh bells started playing from the radio and Hyungwon’s eyes widened as he gasped with a large grin on his face. Hyunwoo’s eyes lit up as he laughed at the timing and as Michael Buble’s voice began floating in their room.

_They’re singing deck the halls. But it’s not like Christmas at all_

_I remember when you were here, and all the fun we had last year_

“It was this one!” Hyungwon exclaimed.

Hyunwoo smiled at him knowingly and stepped towards him, saying, “Do you remember? The dance we did for it?”

Unsurely, Hyungwon stepped towards him also and pursed his lips together. “I think I sort of remember it…?”

It had been a long time since Hyungwon danced. He was sure he would only make a fool of himself in front of the two young boys watching them curiously. But when he grabbed onto Hyunwoo’s outstretched hand, it was like he could remember every single step of that old dance they had choreographed together in high school.

The steps came back to him so naturally that even though he fudged up a move once or twice, it was like he and Hyunwoo were dancing it again for the twentieth time like how they used to rehearse. They danced around the room together to the sound of Michael Buble’s smooth voice in the air while they laughed giddily.

They only danced for three minutes but somehow it felt like all their missing years were coming back.

Hyungwon only realized then how close he and Hyunwoo had ended up after the song had faded and cut to a commercial. He forgot that their choreography ended with them chest to chest, arms around each other and noses nearly touching.

“Wow!” Jooheon gaped as the song faded into a commercial break.

"Oh--" he breathed. His chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath after dancing for a whole three minutes straight with Hyunwoo. "Um..." Clearing his throat, he gently pushed himself off of the other and went to busy his hands by draping some more tinsel around the tree.

"Wow!" Changkyun echoed Jooheon. "Where did you learn how to dance like that?!"

Hyunwoo scratched the back of his head as he willed the blush to stay off his cheeks. Hyungwon could notice the slight flush on his cheeks though. "Oh, um. Hyungwon and I used to dance with each other."

Changkyun giggled behind his small hands. "You mean when you used to _date?"_ he asked teasingly.

"Changkyun," Hyunwoo sighed in exasperation.

"Sorry, sorry," Changkyun apologized, but the mischievous grin still stretched across his face.

Hyungwon cleared his throat and licked his dry lips. He stayed with his back turned to them because he was also sure that his cheeks were also turning pink. But hopefully that was from dancing so hard that the blood was rushing to his face and not from being that close to Hyunwoo's face after so long.

"Uh, we used to dance a lot together in high school," Hyungwon said softly, his fingers ghosting on the edges of the Christmas tree.

"Really?" he heard Jooheon say behind him. He could see Jooheon's wondrous eyes through the reflection of the silver ornament at the tips of his fingers.

Hyungwon turned around and nodded. "Yeah." He smiled. "There was this... dance event that the two would hold a few miles away from here every year called the Winter Snow Ball. And first place won this small trophy every year."

"Did you guys ever win?" Changkyun asked, hopping over to Hyungwon's arms.

Hyungwon smiled and lifted him up. "Once. A year before I left. Our, um, last Christmas together," he said quietly. He could feel Hyunwoo's eyes on him. "We did the dance you just saw and we won."

"Really?!" Jooheon exclaimed loudly. "You won?! Do you still have the trophy?"

"Somewhere in my closet," Hyunwoo chuckled sheepishly.

Hyungwon's eyebrows shot up. "Really? You still have that? Even after all these years?"

Hyunwoo blinked. "Well... yeah." He cleared his throat to break the short silence that followed. "I, uh, couldn't... throw it away. It means a lot."

Hyungwon stared at him unblinkingly. "Yeah. It does mean a lot," he agreed softly.

"Did you two rehearse a lot?" Changkyun asked, playing with the edges of Hyungwon's hair.

Hyungwon shook his head to clear out of the small reverie he fell into. Smiling at Changkyun, he replied, "Yup, we made the dance ourselves. We would meet every day after school and make a dance so that we could win.”

Hyungwon laughed to himself as he set Changkyun down. “I can’t believe you still remember after all these years.”

“Of course. How could I forget?” Hyunwoo’s voice was soft and for a second, Hyungwon thought that his heart skipped a beat.

  
  


After decorating the tree, the boys had fallen asleep in front of the heater, wrapped up in blankets with a half fallen tower of Jenga in front of them. Hyunwoo didn’t have the heart to wake them up and walk them home so he called their mothers instead and they came to pick up their sons.

Jooheon and Changkyun looked so peaceful as they slept in their mothers’ arms. Hyungwon smiled to himself as he wrapped Changkyun’s scarf around his neck.

“Did he have fun today?” his mother asked as she adjusted her arms to accomodate for the scarf.

Hyungwon smiled and nodded. “Changkyun had a lot of fun today! He was jumping around so much, it was no surprise when he knocked out so fast.”

Changkyun’s mother laughed and stroked her son’s hair. “Changkyun really loves spending time with you and Hyunwoo lately.”

“That’s so great to hear,” Hyungwon said. “Oh, and about what I asked you the other day?”

“Ah!” Changkyun’s mother’s eyes lit up in recognition. “Oh yes, Changkyun would love to attend your wedding. He and Jooheon will definitely be there!”

Hyungwon grinned. “Perfect! Thanks so much, I know Hoseok and I will be so happy to see him there.”

“Absolutely. Your wedding is on Christmas Eve, right? That’s only three days away.”

“Only three days? Wow, my own wedding is sneaking up on me,” Hyungwon said, wide eyed.

She smiled at him. “Don’t worry, I felt that way too. Anyways, I’ll get going now. We’ll see you later!”

Hyungwon waved goodbye as Changkyun left in his mother’s arms and disappeared as he closed the door. He sighed happily as he locked the door and went back to the living room.

“Those two boys are the sweetest.”

“Yeah.” Hyunwoo’s voice floated over from the kitchen. “They really are.”

Hyungwon walked over, a smile forming on his face when he saw that Hyunwoo was pouring the contents of a small pot into two mugs. He watched with a light excitement as Hyunwoo dropped into two marshmallows for each. “You made hot chocolate?”

Hyunwoo smiled as he brought the two mugs over to his small dining table. “You’ll stay for hot chocolate, right?”

“Of course, is that even a question?” Hyungwon said with a short snort. He sat down across from Hyunwoo and brought one of the mugs towards him. “If there’s anything I remember best of all, it’s how good your hot chocolate is.” Hyungwon sighed happily as he brought the mug up to his lips and sipped the hot drink.

Hyunwoo chuckled. “That’s definitely one thing that will never change.”

“That’s so nice after playing with the boys all day,” he said contently.

“They were definitely more energetic today than usual,” Hyunwoo said with a great smile. “And I feel more tired than normal also.”

“Mayte that was from all the dancing.” Hyungwon smiled from behind his mug. “I still can’t believe you remember that silly old dance.”

Hyunwoo laughed. “Me neither,” he said, sipping his drink. “And you remember it also. Did you still dance during college?”

Hyungwon chuckled shortly as he put down his mug. “Not really,” he said. “There wasn’t a lot of time for dancing. In fact, today was the first time I’d danced ever since I left.”

“What? Really?” Hyunwoo’s eyes were wide with shock. “But… you loved dancing.”

“Yeah,” Hyungwon sighed. “Guess I just didn’t… find any time for it.”

“You never dance with Hoseok or anything?”

Hyungwon smiled, his eyes downcast as he replied, “Hoseok isn’t-- He’s not much of a dancer. He’s too busy working all the time. Even during school.”

Hyunwoo’s eyebrows furrowed. “He was?” he asked. “He had to work during school?”

“Yeah, he’s… he’s the son of this big company CEO,” Hyungwon said with a chuckle. “He’s always busy helping his father so that he can take over in the future. Sometimes he’s too busy to eat with me, let alone dance.”

“He sounds stressed,” Hyunwoo commented.

Hyungwon shrugged. “Yeah, a little.”

“Does he treat you well though?”

Hyungwon looked up and found Hyunwoo staring at him in complete earnestness. His heart leapt into his throat as Hyunwoo stared at him seriously, his dark eyes unblinking as Hyungwon stammered out, “Y-Yes, of course. Hoseok is nothing but good to me.”

“...Okay,” Hyunwoo said softly. “That’s good to know. I’m glad you’ve found someone who’s good to you.”

Hyungwon smiled softly as he swirled his hot chocolate a bit. “Hoseok is really good to me. You know the…” he began slowly, his eyes shifting as he debated on whether or not he would speak about the thoughts plaguing his mind. “The reason Hoseok and I met, or I guess, the reason we got so close, was because you stopped talking to me.”

Hyunwoo’s fingers tightened around the handle of his cup as he stared at the center of the table. “Hyungwon, what are you talking about?” he asked quietly.

The look of confusion and hurt in Hyungwon’s eyes were clearer than day as he blinked incredulously at Hyunwoo. “What am I talking about? I’m-I’m talking about how you said you would write to me even though we weren’t boyfriends anymore. And… you didn’t.”

“Oh,” Hyunwoo said as he bristled in his seat uncomfortably, “that. I always meant to, Hyungwon, I just… I figured you were too busy. I didn’t know if you still wanted to talk to me, what with your new university life. And I was busy starting to work since I didn’t go to school.”

“What would make you think I didn’t want to talk to you?”

“You never wrote me either.”

Hyungwon swallowed and stared down at his cup. “I guess that’s both of our faults then.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Hyunwoo looked up at him and regarded him in silence for a moment. Then after some quiet, he spoke, “I’m sorry you felt lonely.”

“...It’s alright,” Hyungwon murmured with the softest smile.

“You know, I never forgot that moment,” Hyunwoo continued. The atmosphere around them seemed to get increasingly thicker and warmer now that they were bringing up their past. “The moment you said you were going away for college. The moment when you said we should break up.”

“Yeah.” Hyungwon’s voice was small. “Me neither.”

“I remember because it hurt a lot. Still hurts a bit today. But I figured… I wasn’t going to be going to college so… at least one of us should have been properly educated. I’m proud that you graduated, even if I wasn’t there.”

“Properly educated,” Hyungwon repeated with the smallest scoff. “Hyunwoo, you knew how much I was going to miss you, you knew I hardly cared about my education. At least, I didn’t care enough to go to a school that was practically an ocean away.”

Hyunwoo smiled bitterly. “But look at you now, Hyungwon -- you’re… you’re so smart and professional and… You’re everything you should be. Everything you were supposed to become, you did. You’re the strong, well educated man your father always wanted you to be.”

“Hyunwoo, you probably know more than anyone that I’m exactly what my father wanted me to be,” he said coldly. “I did everything he ever wanted me to do and I ended up exactly how he wanted me to be but I’m still not good enough yet. I’m still only on the verge of success to him. The only time I ever did anything he was against was--... well, was when I dated you.”

Hyunwoo stared down at his cup, refusing to meet Hyungwon’s eyes although he knew that the younger was staring at him, imploring for answers. He stayed silent and it seemed to only prompt Hyungwon to talk more.

“I didn’t want to go to that school, you know,” he said softly. “I wanted to go to a nearby university or something, stay local. I-I wanted to stay _here_ with _you.”_ He leaned back in his seat with a sigh. “But my dad was so insistent on sending me away and--... well, you know how I feel about my dad. You remember, don’t you?” he asked earnestly.

Hyunwoo pulled a small smile on his face then as he laughed breathily through his nose. “How could I forget?” he said softly. He finally looked up and saw how Hyungwon stared at him, ever so softly. His cheeks were pink with nostalgia as Hyunwoo continued, “How could I ever forget the way you’d sneak out of your window at night? The way you’d knock on my door with tears in your eyes and the way you’d run into my arms after disagreeing with your dad? I could never forget that, Hyungwon, you know I’d always remember.”

Hyungwon chuckled at the memory in embarrassment. “I think we both remember that a little too clearly.”

“And I remember so clearly, thinking about how even though you were crying, you were still so pretty.” Hyunwoo’s voice was hardly above a whisper and if Hyungwon had not been listening, he might have even missed it.

“Pretty?” Hyungwon joked lightheartedly. “Even though my nose ran and my eyes were puffy?”

Hyunwoo tilted his head to look at him. “Yeah,” he said after a second, “really pretty.” Hyungwon blushed in his seat and Hyunwoo continued, “Do you remember when you left? And you kissed me goodbye even though we were technically broken up.”

“Yeah,” Hyungwon replied.

“I thought about that for days after you left,” Hyunwoo said with a chuckle. “Every time I remembered, I would miss you that much harder.”

Hyungwon smiled softly, a sparkle filling his eyes. “You missed me?”

“Yeah,” Hyunwoo replied. “Every day for years.”

Hyungwon swallowed then, blinking rapidly as he stammered out his next words. “How come… How come you never asked me to stay?”

Hyunwoo became quiet again at that. He took one look at Hyungwon’s large, twinkling eyes and felt his heart skip a beat. Hyungwon took his silence as a sign to continue talking.

“When I left for school, why didn’t you ever ask me to stay?” Hyungwon laughed lightly again but this time it was void of any humor. “Because if you asked me to stay, if you had just given me one reason to stay… I would have stayed.”

Hyunwoo blinked down at the table as he quietly said, “I’m sorry, I… I didn’t know you wanted me to.” He locked eyes with Hyungwon. “I didn’t know you wanted to stay.”

With a bittersweet smile, Hyungwon looked away and swirled his mug again. “I wanted to stay,” he whispered. “But after we broke up and you didn’t say anything, I guess I” he looked up at Hyunwoo with a sad smile “couldn’t find a reason to stay.”

“I couldn’t ask you to say,” Hyunwoo admitted quietly. “It would have been too selfish of me.”

Hyungwon chuckled. “Hyunwoo, I don’t think there’s ever been a day in your life that you’ve once been selfish. Even now, your life is dedicated to Jooheon and Changkyun.”

“Hyungwon, I--”

“Maybe it would be good for you to be selfish once in a while,” Hyungwon said while staring directly at him. “You deserve that. We both did.”

With a large sigh, Hyunwoo looked away. “I’m sorry, Hyungwon,” he said. It seemed all he could think to do was apologize. “I’m sorry.”

And though silence enveloped them again, a weight seemed to lift off of both their shoulders. Neither of them had really addressed their break up to anybody before, let alone each other, but somehow talking through the painful memories made them hurt less. And suddenly the two of them felt refreshed, anew after being able to discuss what happened.

They drank their hot chocolate after that, talking about all the small things they remembered about the times before Hyungwon left. And though their hot chocolate was more warm than hot now, they still felt cozy and warm inside.

After some time, Hyungwon checked the time. “Oh my gosh, it’s nearly midnight-- we spent so much time talking, I hardly even noticed the time pass,” he said with a grin.

“Me neither,” Hyunwoo chuckled as he stood up. “But you should probably get home now. Hoseok will be wondering where you are.”

“Yes, you’re right,” Hyungwon replied as Hyunwoo walked him to the door.

Hyunwoo waited by his side as he put on his coat and his shoes. Holding his scarf in his hands, Hyungwon turned to give a final smile to Hyunwoo. “Thank you for having me over,” he said softly. “I’m glad we could talk.”

Hyunwoo smiled back and replied, “It’s no problem, Hyungwon. I’m glad also.” He went to open the door and said, “You should put your scarf on -- it’s pretty nasty out there.”

“Right,” Hyungwon said happily as he wrapped his scarf around his neck.

Hyunwoo watched him loop his scarf around his neck and tighten it to his liking. Hyungwon smiled at him as he began to step out of the house but before he could, Hyunwoo stopped him with a gentle hand on his arm.

“Before you go,” he began slowly. “Can I--? May I ask you something?”

Hyungwon locked eyes with him. “Yes…?” he asked.

“Hoseok,” Hyunwoo said. “Is he what you want?”

In confusion, Hyungwon tilted his head slightly and murmured, “Hyunwoo, I’m not quite sure I understand--”

“Is he what you want,” Hyunwoo repeated. “Or is he what your dad wanted for you?”

“Hyunwoo--”

“You don’t have to answer the question if you don’t want to. But if you can…”

Hyungwon pursed his lips at the question. He wasn’t sure if he had an answer, but if there was any explanation as to why he spoke the words that came out of his mouth next, it was because of Hyunwoo’s dark, brown eyes that were sparkling in honesty.

Hyungwon wasn’t sure if he regretted his answer or not, but he felt like he hadn’t said anything wrong. Especially not with how Hyunwoo’s warm gaze accepted his answer either way.

  
  
  
  


“Hey. You were out late.”

“Oh, Hoseok. You’re still up?”

Hoseok was sitting at the dining table. His papers were around him but his laptop wasn’t on. He was already in his pajamas when Hyungwon quietly entered his house.

Hoseok looked at him curiously as he stood up. “Yeah, I wanted to say goodnight to you before heading to bed. I didn’t know you would be taking this long though.”

“Sorry.” Hyungwon bit his lower lip as he looked at the clock. “It’s just a little past midnight -- I should have called you to let you know what time I would be home.”

“It’s fine, honey,” Hoseok told him. Brushing his hair back, he slowly said, “I actually… wanted to talk to you about something.”

Hyungwon raised an eyebrow as he unraveled his scarf from his neck. “Yes?”

“I know you’ve been hanging out with your old friends before the wedding,” Hoseok said. “And I understand that you’ve been wanting to relax before the big day, believe me, I would want nothing else,” he chuckled. “But uh, today it was brought to my attention that Hyunwoo is your ex boyfriend.”

Hyungwon felt his eyebrows furrow as his hands loosened around his scarf. “How do you know about that?”

“Kihyun told me,” Hoseok replied.

“What were you doing talking to Kihyun?” Hyungwon asked with a raise of his eyebrow.

“That’s not important.”

Hyungwon pursed his lips as he continued to take off his outer layers. “Hyunwoo and I used to date, yes.”

“You’ve been spending a lot of time together lately,” Hoseok said. “And I don’t know if I--... if I’m _comfortable_ with that.

“Hoseok.”

“Baby, I trust you, one hundred percent. But I don’t know about Hyunwoo.”

Hyungwon furrowed his eyebrows as he took off the remainder of his coat. “Hoseok-- babe, why would you be uncomfortable?”

Hoseok ran his hand through his hair again and said, “I’m not uncomfortable, it’s just the idea of you hanging out with your ex when we’re about to be married--”

“You think I’m going to fall back in love with him?”

“I wouldn’t say that--”

“Hoseok, there’s nothing to worry about,” Hyungwon reassured with a soft smile. He walked over to Hoseok and planted a kiss on his cheek. Then holding his hand, he said, “I promise, Hyunwoo is a good guy.”

Hoseok sighed and tightened his hand around Hyungwon’s. “I’m not worried if he’s a good guy or not. I just… I’ve _heard_ that he might still have feelings for you.”

Hyungwon frowned. “Did Kihyun tell you that also?”

Hoseok bit his lower lip and whispered, “Yeah.”

“Well,” Hyungwon said, “it would be best if you listened to me instead of Kihyun, right? Since I’m your fiance.”

“Yeah, I know it’s just… I don’t know, Hyungwon, it just doesn’t rub me the right way.”

Hyungwon smiled gently and brought Hoseok’s hand up to his mouth to kiss. “Babe, it’s fine, I promise. Hyunwoo would never do anything that would put me in a place I didn’t want to be in.”

With a relenting sigh, Hoseok blinked at Hyungwon again. “You’re sure?”

“Yes, honey.”

“Absolutely positive?”

“I am.”

Hoseok looked down as he let out a breathy sigh. Squeezing Hyungwon's hand, he softly murmured, "Babe, I know I might sound overbearing, but please know that I'm not trying to be. I trust you, I really do. But I just don't know if spending this much time with another man before your wedding day will cause any problems..."

"Problems?" Hyungwon repeated. "Hoseok, I promise Hyunwoo is a good guy."

"The problem isn't whether Hyunwoo is a good guy," Hoseok said, almost snapping. "It's whether or not you and Hyunwoo are... are getting _close_ again."

"Hoseok, I--"

"I know that's ridiculous of me to think, but you can't blame me," Hoseok put with the smallest narrow of his eyes. "The eve of our wedding is in two days. It's December twenty-first, Hyungwon. And we've spent the least amount of time together we ever have and instead you've been spending it with Hyunwoo, Jooheon and Changkyun. How is that supposed to make me feel?"

Hyungwon blinked as his frown deepened slightly. "That's not entirely my fault," he said. "You've been so busy working even though it's the week leading up to our wedding. You've barely even looked away from your computer screen lately let alone at me."

"If we met up for lunch today we could have spent time together!" Hoseok exclaimed.

"That was a last minute plan," Hyungwon stated. "I already had plans, I couldn't just stop them because you were free last minute."

Hoseok's eyebrows furrowed as he pulled his hand away to rake it through his hair in frustration. "Do you even hear yourself? Hyungwon, we're engaged to be married and it's like we're not making an effort to see each other. You've just been spending time with Hyunwoo."

"Listen, I'm sorry that we couldn't meet up for lunch but it's not Hyunwoo's fault," Hyungwon said. "Hyunwoo has nothing to do with this."

"And if he still likes you?" Hoseok asked while raising an eyebrow.

"Those are his feelings and that's none of our business," Hyungwon stated. "Honestly, Hoseok, have a little more faith in us. And trust Hyunwoo, he's a good man, I promise."

Hoseok looked as if he wanted to say something more but instead he just nodded quietly and whispered, “Okay. Okay, I’ll trust him.” He sighed. “Anyways, it’s time I head to sleep. See you in bed?”

“I’ll see you in bed,” Hyungwon whispered with a nod. He kissed the back of Hoseok’s hand again. “And thank you. Don't worry, we'll have all the time in the world together after we get married."

"You're right," Hoseok hummed. After leaning in to give Hyungwon a soft kiss, he gave him a light smile that hardly pulled at the corner of his lips. “Night,” he said as he walked off. "I love you."

“Night,” Hyungwon said after him.

He was glad Hoseok was a gracious enough fiance to trust him. Hyungwon figured his concerns were valid, but Hyunwoo was a good man. And he would never make a move on Hyungwon if he didn't want it. But as Hyungwon went to get ready for bed, there was an insistent hole in the pit of his stomach that kept giving him the feeling that maybe he was the one that perhaps couldn't be trusted. Because if he really thought about it, if Hyunwoo wanted to make a move on him, he imagined that he would do very little to stop him.

It felt strange to feel that way.

  
  
  
  


“Did we get everything?”

Jooheon hummed as his he held his mother’s hand securely. “Mm… I think so. Oh! Did we remember to buy cereal?”

On the other side of the shopping cart, Changkyun made a noise of confirmation. “We did!” he said.

Today was one of those days when Hyunwoo had to work and couldn’t play with Jooheon and Changkyun. So instead of playing with him, Jooheon had decided to accompany his mother grocery shopping and was able to invite Changkyun along with them.

“If that’s everything then it’s time to go pay,” she said as the two boys followed behind her loyally.

As she stood in line for the grocery store check out, Jooheon and Changkyun busied themselves by looking around at all the tabloids and gum on sale. Most of it was uninteresting to them -- all the celebrity gossip and paparazzi photos were of very little to no interest to them. It wasn’t until they were looking at the movie tickets for sale that something caught Changkyun’s eyes.

“Jooheon hyung!” he called out, beckoning for him.

Jooheon shuffled over and looked at where he was pointing. “What is it?” he asked.

“What’s the first word on those tickets? I can only read the word snow ball,” Changkyun said.

Standing up on his tiptoes to see the writing on the ticket package, he squinted as he stared at the first word. “W-... Wi-... Winter!” he said finally. “It says Winter Snow Ball.”

Changkyun looked at him, impressed. “Wow, how did you know that word?”

“Because I’m in first grade,” Jooheon said proudly, his dimples appearing on his cheeks as he smiled widely, “and we learned that word this year.”

“Ooh,” Changkyun sang.

Jooheon nodded. “Yup! Why do you want to know though?”

“Winter Snow Ball!” Changkyun exclaimed. “Remember! That’s that thing that Hyunwoo hyung said he would dance with Hyungwon hyung at.”

Jooheon’s small hands came up to cover his mouth as he gasped. “Oh yeah! They both like to dance."

Changkyun nodded excitedly. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"That they could go again...?" Jooheon murmured with twinkling eyes.

"Yeah! They should go on a date without us," Changkyun said matter-of-factly. "That way Hyunwoo hyung can spend time with him without us getting in the way."

Jooheon nodded. "That's a good idea! Because we want them to spend more time with each other, right?"

"Right!" Changkyun said. "And we haven't gotten a Christmas gift for Hyunwoo hyung yet."

"Oh, you're right!"

"What are you boys looking at?"

Jooheon looked up and found his mother looming over the two of them with a soft smile on her face.

"Mama!" he said excitedly. He pointed to the ticket package and grinned up at her. "Mama, can we buy this for Hyunwoo hyung's Christmas present?"

She looked at the package deal for two tickets with a raise of her eyebrows. "This?" she asked as she picked it up. "This event is for tomorrow. Isn't that too short of a notice for your Hyunwoo hyung?"

Jooheon shook his head. "No, I think he'll go. Besides we haven't gotten him a present yet. And we should thank him for all the times he's played with us."

She smiled at Jooheon warmly. "You're right, he's practically family. Hm... maybe we should get this for him."

"Yeah, because Hyunwoo hyung loves to dance!" Changkyun added in excitement.

"Who would he take though?" she asked as he held the tickets in her hand. "This price is for two people."

"He knows someone he can take," Jooheon said with a confident smile.

She looked at the sparkling eyes of the two boys for a few seconds longer before giving in with a tilt of her head. "Well, I suppose this would make a very nice gift for Hyunwoo. And it's refundable if he decides not to go."

"Yay!" Jooheon and Changkyun cheered together.

"You'll need to give it to him today though," she said, "since the event is tomorrow."

"Can we visit him later at his garage shop?" Jooheon asked. "We can give it to him there together!"

The two of them shared an excited glance as Jooheon's mother agreed and went to pay for the tickets.

  
  
  
  


"Hyung!"

Hyunwoo grinned brightly as he opened his arms for Jooheon to run into. "Hey, kiddo. What brings you here today?"

Changkyun hopped over excitedly, grinning as Hyunwoo opened his arms to join the hug. "We wanted to see you! We missed you, hyung," he said with a bright smile.

"Missed me?" he repeated with a laugh. "Didn't you two just see me yesterday?"

"We still missed you though, hyung," Jooheon said with a pout.

Hyunwoo grinned and pecked him on the forehead. "Me too, I missed you boys. But I am working so you can't stay long."

Changkyun nodded. "We know. We just wanted to give you your Christmas present."

"Christmas present?" Hyunwoo's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Christmas isn't for another day or so at the least."

"But this present is important," Changkyun insisted as Jooheon nodded. "We have to give it to you now because Christmas day will be too late."

"Really?" Hyunwoo asked as he stood up. "What is it? It's not candy that's about to expire, is it?"

"No!" Jooheon giggled. He pulled out the two tickets from his pocket and handed them up to Hyunwoo. "They're these."

Hyunwoo looked at Jooheon curiously as he took the tickets into his hand. His eyes immediately brightened when he read the bold words on the front of them. "Winter Snow Ball...?" he said with a crooked smile. "How did you two get tickets to these?"

"We saw them selling two tickets in the grocery store! And we thought about you, hyung."

Hyunwoo couldn't hide the bright grin that split his face as he stared at the tickets. "I can't believe you guys bought me tickets to this thing," he said with a breathy chuckle. "You brats," he said lovingly.

Jooheon nodded with a soft smile. "Yeah! We remembered when you said used to go to it."

"And this way you can take Hyungwon with you," Changkyun added.

Hyunwoo's face froze at that comment, his smile fading at the corners as he stared at Changkyun and Jooheon's earnest faces. "...What?"

"You can take Hyungwon hyung with you," Changkyun said again with an innocent smile.

Although Jooheon and Changkyun were looking up at him the with most honest smiles, Hyunwoo felt himself sigh at the two of them. He knelt down again to meet their eyes and gave them a serious look. "Boys. I know what you're trying to do here."

"What do you mean?" Jooheon asked dumbly.

“I know you guys really like Hyungwon but he’s engaged.”

Jooheon pouted. "We just wanted to give you your Christmas present."

"You sure?" Hyunwoo asked with a knowing look. "You just wanted me to have tickets to this dance event tomorrow? It has nothing to do with you wanting me to take Hyungwon?"

Changkyun glanced at Jooheon before pulling a bright grin back to face Hyunwoo. "Nope!" he said.

Hyunwoo snorted under his breath. "So it would be okay if I take Kihyun instead?"

Jooheon's smile fell as he fidgeted on his spot. "I mean... I guess that would be okay," he muttered softly. "But we want you to take Hyungwon instead."

"And why is that?"

"So you can win the competition again," Changkyun said. "Don't you want another trophy?"

"You guys, it's been a long time since I competed. Even if we did, we don't have choreography."

"Yes you do!" Jooheon exclaimed. "The one you did with Hyungwon hyung yesterday."

Hyunwoo sighed. "...I guess that's true," he murmured.

Changkyun's face brightened. "So you'll take him?!"

"So I'll _ask_ him," Hyunwoo said with an amused glance. "But that doesn't mean I'll take him for sure. It's the day before his wedding, after all. I'm sure he'll be busy."

"But you'll ask him for sure?"

Hyunwoo relented with a casual shrug. "Guess it couldn’t hurt. If not I’ll take Kihyun or something.” He smiled down at them softly. “Thank you guys again. I really appreciate this present.”

Jooheon brightened immediately. “You’re welcome!” he exclaimed.

“Have lots of fun, okay?” Changkyun said energetically.

Hyunwoo grinned as he kissed both of them on the foreheads. “I will. Thanks, you two. Anyways, I’ve got to get back to work now. I’ll see you guys on Christmas Eve for dinner, right?”

“Yes, we’ll-- oh, wait! Not this year!” Jooheon stopped himself suddenly. “We’re going to Hyungwon’s wedding this year so we won’t have Christmas Eve dinner. We’re going to do it on Christmas instead.”

“Oh, I see,” Hyunwoo said with a nod. “Okay-- well, see you on Christmas then.”

“See you then, hyung!” Changkyun grinned brightly as he and Jooheon walked out of Hyunwoo’s garage shop while waving.

  
  
  


“Do you have your suit ready for tomorrow, Kyun?”

“Yes, mommy!”

“Alright, then it’s lights out, okay? You and Jooheon have to get up early tomorrow for Hyungwon’s wedding.”

“Okay!”

“Goodnight, baby, I love you!”

“Love you too, mommy!”

Changkyun’s mother blew him a kiss as she switched off the lights to his room and closed the door. The glow in the dark stars on his ceiling shone in silence for a whole three seconds before Changkyun threw his covers off and hopped off of his bed to join Jooheon on his sleepover futon.

“Hyung!” he whispered as Jooheon cracked one eye open. “It’s seven thirty already! Isn’t Hyunwoo hyung going to soon?”

Jooheon sat up and turned to the window behind him and peeked through. “I still don’t see him… Do you think he decided not to go?”

“He has to go!” Changkyun whispered as he joined him at the window. “We bought those tickets for him!”

“But we’ve been watching the window all day and we haven’t seen him,” Jooheon said with a pout.

“Maybe he went straight from his shop…?”

“But he would need to go home to change.”

Changkyun whined as he rested his chin on the windowsill, his warm breath fogging up the cold glass. “Hyunwoo _hyung,”_ he sang, “where are _you?”_

“He can’t really not be going…” Jooheon murmured under his breath sadly. “Think of all the people that will see him dance!”

“I know.” Changkyun pouted.

With a sigh, Jooheon rested his chin on the windowsill next to him and stared out the window, hoping to see Hyunwoo pass by their house as he went to the dance festival that night. Some time passed and before they knew it, they were both dozing off with their heads tilted together on the windowsill.They fell asleep for perhaps only fifteen minutes, but it felt like hours before Jooheon snapped awake and excitedly nudged Changkyun.

“Changkyun!” he exclaimed in a hushed whisper.

Changkyun stirred awake, his eyes blinking groggily. “Hm…?”

“Look! It’s Hyunwoo hyung!”

Changkyun jolted awake at that and sat up in alertness with Jooheon because outside the window, walking down the sidewalk in the light snow, was Hyunwoo. They watched him with small gasps as he left his big footprints in the snow and stopped near the front of Changkyun’s house.

“He stopped!” Jooheon exclaimed. He lowered himself from the window and hissed, “Do you think he spotted us?”

“I don’t think so,” Changkyun said softly as he stared at Hyunwoo’s dark figure in the street.

“Then why did he stop?”

“...I’m not sure… Oh! Jooheon hyung look!” Changkyun exclaimed with a gasp.

Jooheon kneeled up quickly and let out a gasp of his own when he saw that Hyunwoo was waiting near the house next to Changkyun’s. Hyunwoo had been standing out in the snow until the door of the house next door opened up and light spilled onto the snow. A tall silhouette emerged from the house and Hyunwoo face lit up in a grin that the two boys could see from their window.

“It’s Hyungwon hyung!” Jooheon gasped out.

Changkyun let out a small victorious noise as Hyungwon and Hyunwoo began walking down the street together. Jooheon grinned excitedly next to him as they backed away from the window and hopped back under their covers. Changkyun decided to join Jooheon on his futon still though.

“I can’t sleep now!” he whispered excitedly. “I’m too excited!”

“Me too!” Jooheon hissed with a smile that made his eyes turn into tiny crescents.

“What do you think is going to happen?”

“I don’t know!”

“Boys! Didn’t I say it was lights out?” Changkyun’s mother’s voice floated from outside the doorway.

“Yes, mommy!” Changkyun called back.

He and Jooheon shot each other a look before giggling and snuggling deep into their blankets.

  
  
  
  


Doing something on the eve of his wedding wasn’t something Hyungwon had planned. Going to a dancing event with Hyunwoo wasn’t quite what was on his mind either. But when Hyunwoo had reluctantly asked him if he wanted to go, Hyungwon had found himself saying yes faster than he could even consider saying no. He had told Hoseok it was going to be like his bachelor party and Hoseok had given him a weak laugh as he watched him leave.

Hyungwon didn’t expect to be doing anything with Hyunwoo tonight, but going to this dance event was just what he needed to clear his head and going with Hyunwoo sparked something from deep inside him that he had been suppressing.

“I had so much fun tonight,” Hyungwon said with the biggest grin as he entered Hyunwoo’s home. Though it was late when the event ended, Hyungwon couldn’t say no when Hyunwoo suggested to head back to his house for hot chocolate.

Hyunwoo grinned as he kicked the snow off his boots. “Me too,” he said with a wide smile. “Can’t believe they still have the same old trophy design.”

Hyungwon held up the trophy proudly and said, “Well, we’ve got another one to add to the collection.”

“Collection,” Hyunwoo snorted as he took Hyungwon’s jacket to hang up. “We have one.”

“But now we have two! So it’s the start of a collection.”

“So what, you’re saying you want to make a collection?” Hyunwoo joked as they made their way over to the kitchen. He was already bringing out a small pot and everything he needed to make hot chocolate.

“Might be a nice tradition to have now that I’m back in town,” Hyungwon said as he followed Hyunwoo to the stove. “And something nice to look forward to every year.”

“Yeah,” Hyunwoo trailed off. “I can’t believe how many couples came out to dance this year.”

“I know!” Hyungwon said. “It’s gotten so big since I’ve last attended. But it still looks like we got it,” he said coyly as he held up their trophy. He placed it on the counter and leaned onto it as Hyunwoo heat up some milk on the stove for their drinks.

The silence between them was so comfortable, like Hyungwon had never even left for seven years at all. And the lights were still dim and their cheeks were still flushed from the cold; something felt so intimate to Hyungwon. As if this same exact scene had played before, seven years ago. And perhaps it had, but it wasn’t on the eve of Hyungwon’s wedding back then.

Hyunwoo quietly finished making the hot chocolate, handing the drink to Hyungwon who sipped on it gratefully.

“Your hot chocolate never changes,” he murmured as he sipped.

Hyunwoo smiled crookedly as he leaned back on the counter next to him, his mug in one hand as he looked up at the ceiling. “You said that last time too.”

“I could say it again,” Hyungwon chuckled. “I’ve always loved your hot chocolate, you know that. I’ve never met anyone else who could make anything close.”

“Well, that’s good. That means you’ll have a reason to keep visiting me,” Hyunwoo joked as he took a drink from his mug.

Hyungwon laughed softly. “I remember the semester in high school where I would just come over for hot chocolate. I swear, all the weight I gained was just from your hot chocolate.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Hyunwoo teased. “Your cheeks were definitely bigger back then.”

“What is that supposed to mean!”

Hyunwoo snorted. “It means that we definitely should have drinken that much hot chocolate in one semester. Or ever, in one sitting.”

Hyungwon let out a loud laugh that seemed to echo familiarly in the dim kitchen.

“I miss those cheeks though,” Hyunwoo admitted quietly with a nostalgic smile. “They were one of my favorite parts of you.”

“My cheeks are still here thought” Hyungwon asked jokingly. He poked a finger to his cheeks and grinned. “They’re always going to be here.”

Hyunwoo wasn’t sure what came over him but he suddenly found himself reaching to touch Hyungwon’s cheek with his free hand, a light smile on his face as he whispered, “They’re still there, I guess.”

Hyungwon quieted as Hyunwoo’s large palms rested on his cheek and for real, he felt something spark. It wasn’t deep within him waiting to be suppressed, instead it was right below the surface and every move Hyunwoo made it want to bubble over.

“Hyunwoo…” he breathed softly.

Hyunwoo stared at him with an unreadable look in his eyes. “God, you’ve gotten so skinny,” he said softly under his breath. His eyes were glimmering fondly as his thumb warmly stroked Hyungwon’s cheek.

Hyungwon’s heart skipped a beat because he wasn’t sure when Hyunwoo’s face had gotten that close. But he could feel Hyunwoo’s breath fanning across his face as he reached his hand up to cover Hyunwoo’s. If the feelings of their past relationship hadn’t resurfaced yet, then they absolutely did now and Hyungwon could feel his heart thumping in his throat.

And then suddenly he found himself leaning. His eyes fluttered closed as he was closing the distance between his and Hyunwoo’s lips and he could feel Hyunwoo’s lips right there. His lips were so close to his and he could feel them grazing each other, their breaths mingling as Hyungwon waited for him to close the gap. But Hyunwoo never did.

“Hyungwon, stop.”

Hyungwon’s eyes blinked open and he found Hyunwoo staring at him sadly as he put space between them once again. “...What?” he whispered.

“Hyungwon, we can’t do this, you’re _engaged.”_

“That’s… that’s the reason you won’t kiss me?” Hyungwon whispered out.

Hyunwoo’s eyebrows furrowed as he stated, “Of course. I’m sorry, Hyungwon, as much as I want to, I can’t.”

“Why can’t you?” Hyungwon urged, his eyes brightening in desperation. His hand tightened around Hyunwoo’s. “You still like me, don’t you?”

 _“What?”_ Hyunwoo bit out, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Hyungwon, that doesn’t matter! You’re going to be married tomorrow.”

Hyungwon narrowed his eyes in return, pulling his face away in annoyance as he spat, “God Hyunwoo, why do you have be such a coward? If you want to kiss me then kiss me!”  
“A coward?” Hyunwoo repeated. “Me?!”

“Yes, you! Did you ever think for _once_ that if you were just _brave_ enough to ask me to stay I wouldn’t be marrying another man?! Because we both still have feelings for each other, Hyunwoo, you know we do.”

Hyunwoo frowned deeply. “And so what? Hyungwon, you’ve got a great fiance who wants to marry you tomorrow! You’d be okay with cheating on Hoseok the night before your wedding? Don’t you love him?”

Hyungwon bit his lip. “I-I--... I don’t know...”

“You don’t _know?”_ Hyunwoo asked incredulously.

“You can’t expect me to know!” Hyungwon snapped. “Not after… after all this! Coming back and spending time with you, I--...No, I don’t know, Hyunwoo!”

Hyunwoo furrowed his eyebrows and said, “Don’t blame this on me. My feelings have nothing to do with this.”

“But it does, Hyunwoo, you’re wrong! It’s got everything to do with this!” Hyungwon said. His voice shook as if he were about to cry but no tears were in his eyes. “How am I supposed to marry Hoseok when _you’re_ here? God, Hyunwoo, I-- I like you so much. And I still do. It’s ridiculous.”

“Because Hoseok can provide for you,” Hyunwoo told him. “He can love you in ways I can’t, Hyungwon! And fuck, I love you so much, but I want you to be happy! I want you to live a life you deserve!”

Hyungwon let out a breathy scoff as he stepped up to Hyunwoo, their noses nearly touching as he whispered, “Then why can’t you kiss me? If you just kissed me, you could change everything. I just need one fucking reason, Hyunwoo, just one and I can be yours again.”

Hyunwoo shook his head as he looked away. “I can’t do that, Hyungwon. If I’ve got one reason then Hoseok’s got five. You should marry him.”

The face Hyungwon made was on full of disbelief as he laughed humorlessly. “That’s it? You’ll just _give me away_ like that? You’re so _unfair,_ Hyunwoo.”

“Unfair?” Hyunwoo repeated with hard eyes. “I’m not being unfair, Hyungwon, _you_ are. I don’t know what you want from me! This past week alone, what was I supposed to do? Tell you that I still had my dumb feelings for you after all these years? And for what, for you to call of your engagement with a great guy? I can’t do that, Hyungwon, I could never do that to you.”

“Why do you always assume what I want?” Hyungwon tightened his jaw. “I don’t even know if I love Hoseok. I mean, I _do,_ it’s just not the same way I feel about you!”

“But I’m sure he’s a better man than me. He can do so much for you.” Hyunwoo refused to meet Hyungwon’s eyes. “He’ll be good to you, Hyungwon, I know he will. Which is why you should marry him. Don’t let me get in the way.”

“You’re not in the way, Hyunwoo! Why can’t you ever put yourself first?! All you do is dedicate your life to other people, even with Jooheon and Changkyun. Why can’t you just be brave enough to take what you want?”

Hyunwoo smiled sadly as he scoffed. “Are you talking about yourself?” he asked in a low voice.’

“I am,” Hyungwon replied softly. “Because you do want me. You love me.”

Shaking his head, Hyunwoo turned around and placed his hands on the counter. “I can’t, Hyungwon. And after tomorrow, it won’t matter.”

Hyungwon pursed his lips as he stared down at the floor. “So that’s it then? You’re just going to watch me get married? You won’t even try to stop me? You won’t… you won’t _fight_ for me?”

“No,” Hyunwoo said curtly without turning around.

Hyungwon felt his eyes prickle as his frown deepened and he found himself snapping, “You know, I fought for you. All those years ago when my dad didn’t approve of us dating? I fought so hard for us.”

“Those were years ago.”

“If you had just taken a second to fight for me too, I could have stayed!” Hyungwon shouted, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. “I could have stayed and been with you! But have you once ever fought for me?”

“Hyungwon--”

“You keep saying that it would be better if I married Hoseok, but you don’t even know him!” he cried out. “You don’t know how good Hoseok is!”

“I know, but he was there for you when I couldn’t be,” Hyunwoo snapped as he turned around. “You said you were lonely in university and he was the one who was there for you. If I can’t do as much then surely, I don’t deserve you.”

Hyungwon let out a sad breath, his eyes wet. “Hyunwoo--”

“You should go, Hyungwon. If you’re still looking for a reason, I don’t have one. You… you should go.” Hyunwoo turned back around and placed his hands on the counter. He didn’t look at Hyungwon anymore afterwards and his shoulders were stiff. He couldn’t bear to look at the tears in his eyes. “Hoseok is a good man, Hyungwon.”

Hyunwoo didn’t need to turn around to hear that Hyungwon was crying, but he didn’t turn around nonetheless. Hyungwon would look so desperate with tears in his eyes as he begged Hyunwoo again so Hyunwoo wouldn’t turn around. No, he couldn’t look at him.

“If I make things too hard for you,” Hyunwoo said softly as he closed his eyes, “then you should go.”

He heard Hyungwon sniff and shuffle out of the kitchen. “Fine,” he muttered softly. “I’ll go.”

The quiet that enveloped them was unlike any of the silences before because now it hurt. It felt heavy on their shoulders as nothing but the sound of Hyungwon putting on his coat could be heard.

Then breaking the silence, Hyungwon softly said, “I’ll go. And I’ll get married tomorrow. But you can still change that.” His voice was so quiet, Hyunwoo might not have heard it. But Hyungwon knew he could hear him. “After I’m married you won’t be able to fight for me anymore, Hyunwoo.” He sniffed. “But it’s not like you’ve tried to anyways.”

The door opened and slammed close, the sound echoing throughout the small house as Hyunwoo stood at the counter with their abandoned cups of hot chocolate.

  
  


The first thing Hyunwoo had done the next morning was try to find comfort by hanging out with Jooheon and Changkyun. But when arriving at their houses, he was told that they had gone early to the ceremony because Hyungwon had promised that they could help decorate the reception area with flower petals.

So instead to trudged all the way to Kihyun’s cafe in what was probably the coldest Christmas Eve day he had ever experienced in his life. The door jingled emptily as he walked in, plunked down on a seat and shook the snow off his hair.

“Oh, I apologize, but we’re not quite open today-- holy shit.” Kihyun came walking out of his kitchen and stopped in his tracks as he saw Hyunwoo. His eyebrows furrowed as he approached him, reaching out to swipe his hair away from his forehead. “Hyunwoo, you look awful.”

Hyunwoo shrugged begrudgingly.

“You look like you cried for hours.”

He shrugged again and Kihyun sighed as he disappeared into the kitchen and brought out a glass of water. He set it in front of Hyunwoo who took it and gulped it gratefully.

“We’re technically closed today so I can’t bring you any coffee,” he said as if apologizing.

“It’s fine,” Hyunwoo replied gruffly. “What are you closed today for?”

Kihyun raised his eyebrows and looked down to his clothes and only then did Hyunwoo notice his formal shirt and pants. “...The wedding?” he said.

“Right.”

“You aren’t going?” Kihyun asked with a raise of his eyebrow. “I figured Hyungwon would want you there.”

Hyunwoo shook his head. “I can’t go to his wedding. Especially not after last night.”

“What happened last night…?” Kihyun asked slowly.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Kihyun sighed and pulled out his phone to check the time. With a click of his tongue, he crossed his legs and said, “The ceremony starts in two hours. So I’ve got time to listen to whatever you have to say.”

Hyunwoo looked more than reluctant to speak but after a long silence, he opened his mouth.

  
  
  
  


“How are you feeling?”

Hyungwon snapped his head up from the chair he sat in and blinked. “Hm--? What?” he stammered out.

Hoseok smiled at him from the doorway, his soft brown hair gelled back as he crossed his ankles. “Hey,” he said quietly. “I thought I might come find you.”

“Well,” Hyungwon smiled as he sat up straight, “you found me.”

Hoseok gazed at him fondly as he crossed the room to take the seat next to him. “You look beautiful,” he said softly. “You always look great with your hair pushed back.”

Hyungwon gave him a grateful smile as he responded, “You too. Your suit looks like it fits perfectly.”

“Yeah,” Hoseok chuckled. “The alterations really made it perfect. You look stunning also. I knew you’d look amazing in a white suit.”

“Thanks. You look great in white also,” Hyungwon murmured. Then looking up, he asked, “What did you come find me for?”

Hoseok leaned back in his seat, stretching his back as he said, “I don’t know, you just… seem kind of down. You’ve been looking kind of upset since this morning.”

Hyungwon blinked. “Oh.”

“Is something wrong?”

Hyungwon pulled a light smile onto his face and said, “There’s just… a lot of people here for the ceremony. I guess I’m just nervous,” he lied.

“You’re not getting cold feet, are you?” Hoseok joked.

“What--?” Hyungwon stuttered in shock.

Hoseok laughed and rubbed Hyungwon’s arms affectionately. “Relax,” he whispered. “I know it’s nerve wracking but it’ll be done soon and everything will be fine.”

Hyungwon bit his lower lip. “Yeah,” he muttered.

“Anyways,” Hoseok said as he stood up, “there’s a lot of people out there I should probably greet. But you can just wait till the ceremony starts if you want.”

“A lot of people, huh…?”

“Yeah. Besides, I should go anyways. It’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding,” Hoseok said with a grin.

Hyungwon smiled and rolled his eyes. “I’m not a bride.”

Hoseok winked at him as he left the room and Hyungwon was left alone again.

Hyungwon had tried not to think of the events that had happened the night before, but it plagued him all night and all morning while he was getting ready. And every time he dared think of Hyunwoo, it just hurt him a little more. Hoseok was so kind to him, making sure he ate breakfast, making sure his tie was looped correctly, making sure he was feeling okay before the wedding. And he did love Hoseok but every time he looked at him, Hyunwoo’s face would pop up in his mind also. He couldn’t shake that feeling out of his head but the more he hoped for Hyunwoo to come and sweep him away, the less it felt like a reality.

Because as he thought about it, Hyunwoo was right. There was no reason not to marry Hoseok. He was a good man and could do a lot for Hyungwon. Maybe Hyunwoo was right. Maybe their romance was meant to stay in the past, even though all their feelings in the present were still real and palpable.  

He sighed and wrapped his arms around himself securely.

  
  
  


  
“Are you out of your mind?”

Hyunwoo furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as Kihyun regarded him almost disdainfully. “What?” he asked.

“Hyungwon almost kissed you and you essentially told him to fuck off?” Kihyun narrowed his eyes.

“I didn’t say that,” Hyunwoo defended sharply. “I just told him he shouldn’t cheat on his fiance on the eve of his wedding.”

Kihyun frowned. “Yeah, well you might as well have because he wasn’t making a mistake. He _wanted_ you to kiss him, didn’t he? Because he still really likes you.”

“It doesn’t matter if he likes me, he’s engaged to someone else!” Hyunwoo exclaimed.

“I think it matters if your old ex boyfriend you regret breaking up with is asking you to break up his engagement,” Kihyun spat suddenly.

“That’s not what happened.”

Kihyun’s frown deepened.“That’s what it sounds like to me.”

“Well, I can’t just--!” Hyunwoo exclaimed in frustration. “I can’t just break his engagement! Why would I hold him back like that?!”

“Oh god, Hyunwoo -- this is exactly why you two broke up in first place!”

“What?”

“You two are so madly in love but Hyungwon can’t make his own decisions and you couldn’t be selfish to save your life!” Kihyun snapped, his eyes blazing. Hyunwoo looked more than confused and it only made him more irritated.

“What-- What are you _talking_ about?” Hyunwoo asked. His eyebrows were furrowed so hard, he almost looked angry.

Kihyun fought the urge to roll his eyes as he sighed in exasperation. “I don’t know if you noticed, but you and Hyungwon are perfect for each other. You two are so ridiculously in love with each other and you both know it but you two are too wrapped up in your own games of self righteousness to even try to regain your relationship! Listen,” Kihyun leaned forward and rubbed his temples, “Hyungwon is such a sweet guy. I couldn’t even hate him despite how much I liked you back in high school because he’s such a good guy. But he’s good because he can’t say no to anyone, Hyunwoo. We both know he didn’t want to go to school abroad but his father wanted him to so he said yes. But he wanted you to oppose so badly so he could have _any_ reason to say no to his father.”

Hyunwoo blinked in silence as he listened to Kihyun’s speaking get faster and faster.

“And _you_ are a whole problem on your own. For whatever reason, you think you’re doing Hyungwon favors by letting him live without you. You’re so unselfish, Hyunwoo, and that’s a great quality, you and Hyungwon are both full of great qualities -- but you two need to just stop desperately searching for reasons to dance around each other! Everything you do is based around someone else’s needs, you’ve never, not once in your life, put yourself in front of anyone else. And you especially don’t put yourself in front of Hyungwon because you love him way too much. But for god’s sake, Hyunwoo, if you would just look at what he wants, it’s nearly the same thing you want but you keep pushing him away!”

Hyunwoo stared down at his hands as he blinked. “That’s not what’s happening.”

“Isn’t it though?” Kihyun asked as he massaged his forehead. “You and Hyungwon have spent so much time together lately, you’ve basically rekindled any feelings that might have fizzled out in the past seven years. Even I can tell that much. Am I wrong?”

“Well… no, but--”

“Then I don’t know why you two insist on tiptoeing on the line you need to cross! You always wait and wait and hold your feelings in until it’s too late, like when Hyungwon moved away. And who was the only person you could cry on because your boyfriend left you? Me, that’s who. I’ve been by your side for years, Hyunwoo, and I like you so much but even I know that you only have eyes for Hyungwon.” Kihyun sighed through his nose as he leaned back in his chair. _“Any_ one could see that,” he murmured.

“Kihyun, I--”

Kihyun stood up from the table before Hyunwoo could continue. “I need to get going if I want to make it on time to the wedding. But really think about it, Hyunwoo. You and Hyungwon both need to stop living for other people and live for yourselves for once. Hyungwon tried to do that last night but you shut him down.”

“I--” Hyunwoo stammered out. “I never thought of it that way.”

“Yeah,” Kihyun said as he checked the time on his phone, “you didn’t. And I’m not trying to say it’s okay to cheat, it’s obviously not, but Hyungwon practically asked you to break his engagement. He even said, he wanted you to fight for him, and the time left for you to fight for him is lessening every second you spend here being miserable about how you didn’t do anything to stop the love of your life from marrying another man.” Kihyun shook his head and murmured, “I’m not going to go through that again, Hyunwoo. _You’re_ not going to go through this again.”

Hyunwoo stayed silent as Kihyun pulled his suit jacket over his shoulders. He couldn’t seem to find any words to really express the way he felt, to really express how right Kihyun was about everything.

“I don’t know what you’re planning to do,” Kihyun said as he opened the door, “or if you even _are_ going to do anything, but for goodness sakes Hyunwoo -- do something for yourself just once in your fucking life.”

Hyunwoo was silent as Kihyun opened the door to exit his cafe. He waited at the door, watching Hyunwoo as if he hoped that he would get up and come with him, but Hyunwoo sat in his seat, his eyes clouded and troubled after everything that Kihyun told him. With a disappointed sigh, Kihyun walked out and let the door close behind him.

  
  
  


“Hyung, hyung!”

Hyungwon broke into a grin as two familiar children came bounding up to him with wide smiles on their faces. “Hey,” he said happily, catching Changkyun in his arms. “What are you two doing back here?” he asked. “We’re about to start the ceremony.”

“We wanted to see you!” Changkyun told him. His hair was messily gelled back to expose his forehead and Jooheon wore a similar style.

Jooheon smiled up at Hyungwon as he said, “You look super handsome, hyung!”

“Thank you,” Hyungwon chuckled. “Thank goodness, since I stayed up so late last night! I thought I would be ugly today.”

“Mm-mm,” Changkyun sang as he shook his head. “You can never look ugly!”

It made Hyungwon giggle as he kissed his forehead. “You two are so silly. Did you do a good job with decorating earlier?”

“Yes!” Jooheon exclaimed happily. “We put all the flower petals out really nicely on the aisle! Kihyun said we did a really good job when we showed him!”

Hyungwon’s ears immediately perked up at the mention of his friend. “Kihyun’s here?” he asked. “Does… does he have anybody with him?”

Jooheon tilted his head at the question and answered, “I don’t think so…? Kihyun doesn’t have a date.”

“No, I mean… is Hyunwoo with him or anything?”

Changkyun and Jooheon shared a glance with each other before Changkyun responded, “No, I didn’t see Hyunwoo hyung out there. Why?”

Although Hyungwon felt relieved that Hyunwoo hadn’t shown up with Kihyun, he couldn’t feel that empty pit in his stomach knowing that Hyunwoo wasn’t even there at all. But instead, he swallowed and pulled another smile onto his face as he whispered, “No reason.”

“What are you two boys doing here?”

The three of them looked up to see Hyungwon’s father smiling at them. Jooheon and Changkyun smiled and bowed at him, calling him Mayor Chae as they giggled.

“They’re just visiting me before we start, dad,” Hyungwon explained quietly.

His father smiled softly as he gestured towards the door. “You boys better go get in your seats! We’re about to start soon.”

“We are?” Hyungwon whispered, his heartbeat suddenly picking up.

Nodding, his father replied, “There’s a lot of people out there, so you better get back to your spots before someone else takes them!”

Jooheon and Changkyun gasped as they bid Hyungwon goodbye and bolted off. Hyungwon smiled and chuckled after them and he stood up to face his father. His father was smiling at him fondly as he took his hand into his.

“You look wonderful,” he said.

Hyungwon flushed softly and smiled. “Thanks,” he responded quietly.

“I’m so proud of what you’ve become,” his father told him warmly. “Looking at you after you’d returned after university was looking at a whole new man that had matured so much. And I was afraid that after meeting Hoseok, perhaps you had changed too much.”

Hyungwon stared at his father quietly as he waited for him to continue.

“But after you came home and got reacquainted, it’s like the same boy you were growing up was still inside you. And I know I sent you away to grow up, but seeing that old light in your eyes for the past week has done nothing but make me happy. I’m grateful.”

Hyungwon didn’t have the heart to tell his father that the only reason his old self had come out was thanks to Hyunwoo; thanks to the boy that his father had never truly approved of. So instead he just grinned his thanks as his father took him by the arm and went to line up with him at the end of the wedding party. It was a relatively small party -- they didn’t really have anybody to ask aside from Hoseok’s colleagues and nephews. One of Hoseok’s cousins and his best man, Junhoe, was part of their party, but Hyungwon had never even met him before. It didn’t quite strike him how lonely his own wedding felt until he stood right in front of it.

The doors were closed and the ceremony would be beginning soon. Soon he’d be marrying Hoseok. He heard the music begin to play and the party began entering one by one. With a deep breath, he counted to three and then let it out in a long sigh.

It was probably better that Hyunwoo wasn’t here -- this way, he could get married.

  
  
  
  


Hyunwoo sat at the cafe table, his head swirling with thoughts as he tried to make sense of it all. Everything Kihyun had snapped at him was undoubtedly true, whether he acknowledged it or not. It changed the weight of all the words that he and Hyungwon had said to each other last night and Hyunwoo was suddenly filled with shallow regrets as he remembered it all.

Hyungwon wanted him. Hyungwon _wanted_ him. Even after all these years, Hyungwon still wanted _him._ And yet all he had done was make Hyungwon confused, make Hyungwon doubt whether or not he felt the same way.

His resolve came to him like a strike of lightning as he got up out of his seat and bolted out of the cafe, running to the only place he knew he had to be.

He had made the mistake of letting Hyungwon go before. He wasn’t going to make it again.

  
  
  
  


Hoseok’s smile was so bright and warm as he held Hyungwon’s hands at the altar. The wedding was going so smoothly and without any hiccups, it almost made Hyungwon grateful. But it went so well, Hyungwon was almost grasping for mistakes, trying to find a reason to stall this a little longer. His heart leapt into his throat every time he stood up and now that he and Hoseok were standing up there alone, with no one else but the priest, it felt so menacing but so real. He could hardly hear anything, the sound of his own heartbeat tuning out whatever the priest was saying. His senses didn’t snap back into reality until he heard Hoseok’s voice loud and clear.

“I do.”

And suddenly the priest was turning to him with a gracious smile as he spoke in rehearsed words. “And do you, Chae Hyungwon,” he said, “take Shin Hoseok to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and bad, for rich or for poor, forever and ever as long as you both shall live?”

The room seemed dead silent as Hyungwon opened his mouth to answer. He took a look at everybody staring at him -- Hoseok who stared at him so affectionately, his father who stared at him so expectantly and everybody else who was waiting for him to answer.

“I--” _One heartbeat._

“I--...” _Two heartbeats._

_Three heartbeats._

_Four, five six._

“I’m sorry, I can’t.”

Hyungwon felt his heart speed up by miles as a murmur broke out of the crowd and the smile on Hoseok’s face fell. He looked so hurt as he tried to smile again and pulled Hyungwon’s hands closer to himself.

“Babe… Honey,” he stammered out softly, his voice shaking. “What-What do you mean? What do you mean you can’t?”

Hyungwon shook his head and refused to meet his eyes, staring guiltily at the wedding bands that were waiting in Junhoe’s hands next to them. “I’m so sorry Hoseok,” he whispered, “but I can’t do this.”

“What are you talking about?” Hoseok asked. He brought one hand up to gingerly touch Hyungwon’s cheek and feel his forehead. “Are you nervous--? Are you sick, honey, what’s wrong? What do you mean you can’t?”

Pulling his face and hands away, Hyungwon shook his head again. “No, Hoseok, I mean I can’t marry you.”

“What?” The shock in Hoseok’s eyes mirrored that of everybody in the room. “Why… Why not?”

Everyone was beginning to get restless as the murmurs grew louder and faster. His father stood up with a concerned look on his face, about to ask what the problem was when suddenly a loud bang echoed loudly in the room and a collective gasp broke out amongst the crowd.

“Oh my god,” Hyungwon whispered, his heart stopping and skipping a beat all at once.

Because there at the end of the aisle, with flushed cheeks and a heaving chest and the brightest, most determined eyes Hyungwon had ever seen, was Hyunwoo. Hyunwoo swallowed thickly, his eyes darting around the room nervously as Hyungwon’s father raised an eyebrow at him.

“Hyunwoo?” he said. “What are you doing here?”

The whole room looked at him expectantly and Hyungwon’s eyes were trained on him as well. Hyunwoo looked around one more time and licked his dry lips.

“Oh god, okay,” he muttered to himself, “um. I’m here because I have something to say.”

“You do?” Hyungwon asked.

Hyunwoo locked eyes with him and suddenly it was if the rest of the room disappeared and time stood still for them. “Yeah,” he said with a nod as he began to walk up the aisle, “I do. I’m here because I need to tell Hyungwon something. Something really important.”

Hyungwon blinked and then cleared his throat. “You want to tell me something?”

“Yeah.” Hyunwoo took in a deep shaky breath and continued, “I want to tell you that--... that I’m sorry for not fighting for you. I’m sorry for making you guess and for pushing you away. I’m sorry for this past week at least, if not all those years I did you wrong.”

“Hyunwoo, you never did me wrong--”

“No, but I did. And I’m so sorry for letting you ever feel lonely. I’m sorry for those years you missed me.” His heart began to pick up speed as a soft smile started growing on Hyungwon’s face. “I tried to avoid it whenever I looked at you but now I see that I can’t. Because I’m in love with Chae Hyungwon and-and if he’ll have me… I’d gratefully be his.”

Hyunwoo thought that this whole ordeal was just the slightest bit awkward, with everyone staring at them and Hoseok looking aghast right next to Hyungwon, but at the same time he couldn’t care less because suddenly Hyungwon was bounding down the aisle to meet him halfway, practically jumping into his arms and then kissing him full on the lips.

It should have felt scandalous from the way everybody around them gasped in horror or astonishment but Hyunwoo could only feel his heart melting into a puddle at his feet as they finally kissed and they finally felt that rush of heat coursing through their veins again.

“Oh my god,” Hyungwon whispered as they separated. He leaned his forehead against Hyunwoo’s and grinned so hard, it could have broken his face. “I can’t believe you crashed my wedding.”

Hyunwoo chuckled as he touched the tip of his nose against Hyungwon’s. “Sorry I waited till the last minute.”

“Stop apologizing,” Hyungwon hissed playfully. “I couldn’t care less anymore. I’d still love to have you, Hyunwoo, I mean it.”

“You do?”

Hyungwon breathed out, “Yeah. Yeah, I do. I love you too.”

Hyunwoo couldn’t stop the giddy grin from spreading across his face. “I’m glad. You look beautiful, by the way. Almost couldn’t talk because you took my breath away.”

“Loser,” Hyungwon teased. Then with a light giggle, he murmured, “Merry Christmas, you idiot.”

“Christmas isn’t until tomorrow.”

“Feels like it came early.”

It took maybe a few more seconds to break out of their reverie, Hyunwoo wrapping his arms around Hyungwon’s waist as he looked up and remembered that the entire room was staring at them. “Oh god,” he murmured, “okay.”

He looked around to see if anyone else would make some sort of movement but all they could see was Jooheon and Changkyun standing up on their seats, waving and grinning a them. The two of them waved back with a chuckle before turning back to each other.

“So… now what?” Hyunwoo asked. “I’ve never really crashed a wedding before.”

“We should probably get out of here,” Hyungwon whispered with a laugh.

“Yeah, probably,” Hyunwoo snickered. “Want to go ice skating?”

Hyungwon grinned as they began to walk out of the room, leaving a mess of whispers, murmurs and astonished guests behind them. “Yeah, I’d really like that.”

  
  
  
  


A month later, Hyungwon still couldn’t quite wrap his head around the fact that Hyunwoo had crashed his wedding and finally professed his love to him all the same day. It was the talk of the entire town for the next week but Hyungwon couldn’t have cared less. He was only looking at Hyunwoo for that whole week, staying with him in his house and spending every second he could with him as the gossip died down.

The cafe door jingled and Hyungwon looked up from his seat with a grin as Hyunwoo approached him. “Hey,” he said.

“Hey,” Hyunwoo replied as he bent down to kiss him before he took the seat across from him. “Did you order anything yet?”

“Yeah, the usual,” Hyungwon replied. It seemed that he could never stop smiling whenever Hyunwoo kissed him.

Hyunwoo smiled as he took off his coat. “You know, your dad had to bring his car in again to fix his brakes. I feel like he should just get a new car at this point.”

Hyungwon laughed to himself and said, “Nope, my old man is so stubborn. Speaking of, he finally talked to me about what happened at the wedding.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Hyunwoo said with a blush creeping onto his cheeks. “God, I still get embarrassed just thinking about it. How was handling the aftermath of it all.”

“It was okay. Hoseok and I just had to explain to our families what happened and that we’d no longer be getting married. It was a little hard but… I think it was worth it.” He giggled. “And don’t be embarrassed, it was the greatest moment of my life. My dad still called you a bit of an asshole though.”

Hyunwoo laughed sheepishly and scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah, I guess it was a little asshole-ish of me.”

“Speaking of assholes!” The two turned their heads to see Kihyun coming out of his kitchen, brandishing two mugs of piping hot coffee. “Both of you were a bit of an asshole that day.”

“Both of us?” Hyungwon asked as Kihyun set the mugs down onto their table.

Kihyun rolled his eyes playfully as he placed his hands on his hips. “You both just left Hoseok hanging there at the altar by himself as you went off for your happy ending.”

“Oh… Oh, oops,” Hyungwon muttered in embarrassment.

With a snicker, Kihyun said, “You two really did a number on his self esteem. I’m surprised he thinks love even exists anymore after that stunt.”

Hyunwoo blushed. “I guess we did get a little caught up.”

“Yeah, you did,” Kihyun told them. He laughed lightly and turned away, “I’ll be right back with your cake!”

“Oh man,” Hyungwon murmured as he disappeared. “I’ll admit, if I have any regrets, it might be letting Hoseok down like that.”

“That must have hurt a lot,” Hyunwoo agreed.

Hyungwon opened his mouth to speak again when the door to the cafe opened and Hoseok himself came striding in. His hair was still as soft and brown as ever and he wore a leather jacket over some jeans that made it look like he was heading somewhere.

He noticed Hyungwon and Hyunwoo as soon as he stepped in, his smile faltering for only a second as he approached them warily. “Oh, hey…”

“Hey...” Hyungwon replied slowly.

Hoseok made eye contact with Hyunwoo and pursed his lips awkwardly, nodding his head in acknowledgement. “Uh, I’m happy for you guys,” he said after a moment. “Really, I am.”

“Hoseok, I’m really sorry,” Hyungwon told him, standing up from his seat. “I’m sorry, I really am, I probably should have called off the wedding before and not put you in such an awkward--”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s fine,” he said. “I’m… I was over it. Or at least, I got over it. Took some time though. Not everyday your fiance runs away from you with his ex,” he joked.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry about that.” Hyunwoo stood up this time and rubbed his neck apologetically. “If I wasn’t such an idiot, we wouldn’t have--”

“Really, it’s fine,” Hoseok said with a smile. “I had a lot of time to think about it since, well, I still got my vacation time for my honeymoon despite not going on one. So I’ve planned out the next year.”

“Oh? What are you going to be doing now?” Hyungwon asked.

Hoseok inhaled a deep breath. “Well, I’m going to travel and work. I think I’m going to tour the globe this year and get a lot of experience from different countries. And hopefully by the end of it, I’ll be ready enough to take my dad’s place as CEO. And then maybe I’ll come back and visit here.”

“Here?” Hyungwon asked in surprise. “Really?”

“Yeah.” Hoseok shrugged. “It’s a nice place. And besides, I think I found a reason to come visit anyways.”

“Really? And what is that reason?”

“Here are your cakes! I just pulled them out of the oven, so they’re still warm-- Oh, Hoseok,” Kihyun stammered as he entered the dining room. He swallowed visibly as he set two slices of triple hazelnut cake onto Hyungwon and Hyunwoo’s table. “What are you doing here?” he asked softly. “You told me you were leaving today.”

Hoseok cleared his throat as he ran a hand through his hair. “I, uh, wanted to talk to you before I did. So do you think we could--?”

“Talk in the kitchen?” Kihyun finished, eyeing Hyungwon and Hyunwoo before turning his attention back to Hoseok. “Yeah, we can talk in the _kitchen._ Um, let’s go.”

“Right.”

Hyungwon and Hyunwoo exchanged strange glances as Hoseok and Kihyun disappeared into the back kitchen together. Sitting down together, they stared at the kitchen door curiously.

“...That was kind of weird,” Hyungwon murmured. “What has Kihyun been doing since the wedding?”

“Aside from working? No idea.”

“Hm…” Hyungwon hummed.

They probably would have discussed more but then the cafe door opened again and the two little knuckleheads that Hyunwoo knew best came running in. Jooheon and Changkyun came scurrying in -- they had just gotten out of school and their eyes were bright with stories they wanted to tell.

“Hi boys!” Hyungwon greeted excitedly. He got out of his seat to scoop Changkyun up into his arms and kiss his cheeks. “How was school today.”

“It was great!” Changkyun exclaimed. “Guess what I did?”

“What did you do?” Hyunwoo asked, bringing Jooheon up to sit in his lap.

“I told you Minhyuk I wanted to marry him!”

Hyungwon’s eyes widened and he blinked. “You-You did?”

Jooheon nodded. “He did! And I did too!”

“Both of you told Minhyuk you wanted to marry him?” Hyunwoo asked amusedly.

“Mm-hm! And then we asked him who he wanted to marry.”

“Really?” Hyungwon looked back and forth between them in interest. “And what did Minhyuk say?”

“Minhyuk said he wanted to marry both of us!” Changkyun said excitedly. “Isn’t that cool? We can all be married together!”

Hyungwon and Hyunwoo exchanged a look before bursting out laughing. They stroked the boys hair, giving them all sorts of kisses for being so adorable.

“What’s so funny?” Jooheon asked as Hyunwoo gave him another kiss on the cheek.

“Nothing,” Hyunwoo told him with a smile. “If Minhyuk wants to marry you both, then he can. But if he breaks up with you, he has to break up with both of you, you know?”

Changkyun pouted. “He does?” he whined. “Aw, man. What if he only breaks up with Jooheon?”

“Hey!”

“You’ll have to break up too!” Hyungwon teased him. “Because you and Jooheon are an exclusive package, isn’t that right?”

Jooheon made a face and then looked up at Hyunwoo. “Hyung? What does exlu-- elcsu-- elxlu--”

“Exclusive?”

“Yeah, what does that mean?”

Hyunwoo grinned. “That means no matter what you and Changkyun do, you do it together. So if you break up with Minhyuk, you break up together!”

“Hm… I think that makes sense.”

“So cute,” Hyungwon laughed.

The door to the kitchen opened back up and Hoseok and Kihyun came rushing out. Hoseok cleared his throat and blinked at their table. “Oh, hello boys,” he said.

“Hi, Mr. Hoseok hyung,” Changkyun said with awave.

He stammered, “U-Um, anyways I’ve got to get going. Maybe I’ll see you in a year or so?” he said towards Hyungwon. “Keep in touch and, uh, best wishes to both of you!” he said. Suddenly he was speed walking out the door and down the street.

Hyunwoo looked over to see Kihyun leaning against the counter, his eyes wide blown as he watched Hoseok scurry away, his chest heaving as he breathed heavily.

“Hey Kihyun?”

“Huh?” Kihyun snapped his head over. “Huh, what?”

“You look a little frazzled there,” he said.

Kihyun swallowed and licked his lips. “It’s nothing,” he said quickly. “Uh, enjoy your cakes!” he called as he sped back into his kitchen.

Hyungwon snickered as he watched him leave. “There’s definitely something going on there,” he muttered. But then he turned his attention back to the boys and the cakes with a grin. “Jooheon!” he said. “We ordered your favorite!”

Jooheon clasped his hands together excitedly. “Triple hazelnut!” he squealed. “And that’s your favorite too!”

“That’s right, you remembered!” Hyungwon said happily.

Maybe it was the way Hyungwon made him feel warm and fuzzy inside, even after years. Or it was probably the way Hyungwon still made his heartbeat time after time. Even now, watching Hyungwon feed Jooheon and Changkyun, despite them being able to feed themselves, and dote after them, constantly keeping an eye on them -- it made Hyunwoo feel all sorts of ways. 

He watched with a fond smile as Hyungwon brought a napkin to Jooheon’s mouth and wiped the edges, telling him to be a little more careful.

He couldn't believe it took him this long to realize -- this long to act on his feelings. He remembered the night he asked Hyungwon if Hoseok was what he wanted and Hyungwon had told him so clearly that while Hoseok was wonderful, he could never forget all Hyunwoo did for him. And Hyunwoo wondered why he didn't tell him how he felt then, wondered why he kept his feelings down for so long when he should have told Hyungwon everything about how he felt.

He loved Hyungwon so much. Hyungwon and his soft cheeks and thick lips and bright smile. Hyungwon and his large hands and his small frame and his long legs. Everything about Hyungwon made Hyunwoo’s heart dance and he didn’t want it any other way. And more importantly, Jooheon and Changkyun loved him too, and for that Hyunwoo was more than grateful.

Because anybody that those boys adored certainly deserved Hyunwoo’s adoration as well.

“What?”

Hyunwoo snapped out of his trance, smiling at Hyungwon who was looking at him curiously. “What?”

A smile formed on Hyungwon’s face. “You were staring.”

“Don’t worry,” he responded, “it’s nothing.”

It was January. The holidays were mostly over, most people were getting back into their regular routines of life and kids were going back to school. Christmas may have been over a while ago, but Hyunwoo still felt like he had received the best gift of all.

And his gift would last forever.

**Author's Note:**

> ; v ; 
> 
> thank u for reading this entire monster :D it wasn't supposed to get this long, but i say that on just about everything i write don't i lol  
> this was a big mess but i big mess i adore so ; v ; 
> 
> i love showhyung lots so i wrote this behemoth to express my love for them. if you have any questions or anything, leave them in the comments below !! or im also asiannoodles on curiouscat and @_pokiwon on twitter!
> 
> thank u for reading !!! <333 once again happy belated xmas and happy birthday hyungwon!! :D


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